Vanse Church
| Vanse Church | |
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| Vanse kirke | |
View of the church
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 Vanse Church
Location in of the church
Vanse Church
Location in of the church
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| 58°06′02″N 6°41′37″E / 58.1006°N 06.6936°ECoordinates: 58°06′02″N 6°41′37″E / 58.1006°N 06.6936°E | |
| Location | Farsund, Vest-Agder |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| Website | listamenighet.no |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Lista kirke |
| Events | Rebuilt in 13th century Rebuilt in 1849 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Cruciform |
| Completed | c. 1037 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1100 |
| Materials | Stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lista |
| Deanery | Lister prosti |
| Diocese | Agder og Telemark |
Vanse Church (Norwegian: Vanse kirke) is a parish church in Farsund municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vanse. The church is part of the Lista parish in the Lister deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, stone, cruciform church was built around the year 1037. The medieval church was rebuilt and expanded in the 12th century and then again in the mid-19th century. The church seats about 1100 people.
Given that Lista apparently was a more populous area than Oddernes parish, and that these churches seem to be built by the same teams, Vanse Church has been dated to around the year 1037. The first church may have been built in wood and then replaced by a stone church at a later stage.
The stone church may originally have been in the Romanesque style. The church still has pointed arches in early Gothic style. Originally, the church had two windows high up on the south wall, and two windows at the choir wall. Other literature indicates that the creation of the church was begun around 1200, and designed with pointed arches in early Gothic architecture. However, this may indicate the dating of some of the oldest parts of the church are derived from the 13th century.
The church was rebuilt again and expanded in 1848, because of an accident in the church where eight people were killed and several were injured. The accident occurred when there arose panic in the crowded church and several people were trampled to death.
The choir and the east wall were demolished in 1848 and they were replaced by a large cross-shaped extension. It was during the restoration that a small box of lead with a piece of cloth was found. They also found some limestone and a piece of bone from an unknown saint (possibly St. Olaf). It was found under the church floor in Vanse Church, just in front of the former altar.
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Wikipedia