Røldal Stave Church

Røldal Stave Church
Røldal stavkyrkje
View of the church
Røldal Stave Church Location in Hordaland county Show map of Hordaland Røldal Stave Church Location in Hordaland county Show map of Norway
59°49′51″N 6°49′22″E / 59.8308°N 6.8227°E / 59.8308; 6.8227Coordinates: 59°49′51″N 6°49′22″E / 59.8308°N 6.8227°E / 59.8308; 6.8227
Location	Odda, Hordaland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Unknown
Completed	c. 1250
Specifications
Capacity	130
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Røldal
Deanery	Hardanger og Voss prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Bjørgvin

Røldal Stave Church (Norwegian: Røldal stavkyrkje) is a stave church in Odda municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Røldal. The church is part of the Røldal parish in the Hardanger og Voss deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The church is a preserved historic museum, but it is still a regularly-used parish church that holds regularly scheduled worship services twice a month.

The estimated age of the Church is generally dated to between 1200-1250. A baptismal font in the church is dated to between 1200 and 1250. A crucifix in the church dates from about 1250. The altarpiece by German painter Gottfried Hendtzchell from Wroclaw in Silesia dates to 1629.

The Church has a rectangular-shaped nave and chancel. The baptismal font is of soapstone and dated 1200-1300 century. The Bergen Museum holds a variety of building components and other artifacts from the medieval church. These include altar frontal and wooden sculptures of St. Olaf from about 1250, of the Virgin Mary with child from about 1250, and the Archangel Michael, dated about 1200. In the Middle Ages, Røldal Church received large donations from many of pilgrims who flocked to the church. As a result, the small village where the church is located, became quite prosperous. In the 17th century the walls inside the church were richly decorated with paintings.