Old Gaupne Church: A 17th-Century Timber Church in Norway
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Norway
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Denmark–Norway, Norwegian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Church
On this page8 sections
History
Old Gaupne Church is a 17th-century timber church in Gaupne, Norway. Built from 1647 to about 1652, it served as the main church of Luster parish until a new church replaced it in 1907. It belongs to the Church of Norway, the country’s Lutheran church.
The medieval church and its replacement
A wooden stave church, built with upright posts and planks, probably stood at Gaupne from the second half of the 12th century. A church there is named in a record from 1306, when it was already established. By 1636, the stave church was in poor condition, and local residents wanted a replacement. The new timber church was part of an early shift from stave construction to timber churches; many of those timber buildings were later replaced by larger churches during the 19th century as populations grew.
Construction and parish use
Work on Old Gaupne Church began in 1647 and was probably finished around 1652. A painted inscription on the porch’s east wall credits Geble Augmundson Røneyd with building the church in 1647. The older church was probably dismantled after the new nave had been erected.
Preservation and continued use
When the new Gaupne Church opened about 460 metres to the northeast in 1907, Old Gaupne Church ceased to be the parish’s main church. The congregation gave it to the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments, a Norwegian organization that protects historic buildings and monuments, in 1909. Repairs included replacing the foundation and roof and repairing the exterior boarding; the foundation was repaired again in the 1950s. The church is now a museum but is still used for special occasions, including weddings, baptisms, and an annual Olsok service honoring St Olaf, the medieval Norwegian king who became a Christian saint. It has automatic protection as a Norwegian cultural heritage site.
Remains
Old Gaupne Church is a long church, with its main worship space and choir arranged along a lengthwise axis. It stands on a slight rise near the centre of Gaupne, within a churchyard, and has seating for 130. Its exterior is simply finished in brown. The nave, choir, and porch are made from broad, flat-hewn logs and are boarded on the outside. The nave and porch are each 8.5 metres wide and together extend 13 metres in length; the square choir measures 5.5 metres across. The porch was probably built at the same time as the nave, since the nave’s west wall shows no signs of earlier exposure to the weather.
Tower and medieval portal
A timber-framed tower rises above the west gable. Four posts support it: two stand in the nave’s west wall and two in the porch wall. The posts rest on two lengthwise beams, which sit on the attic beams and support the rafters. The roof is covered with square slate and formerly had roof tiles. The west entrance incorporates the earlier stave church’s portal. Its side planks fit into a sill, and the interlaced snake and dragon carvings belong to the regional Sogn-Valdres style of medieval woodcarving, with a 12th-century date assigned to their style. Doors protect the portal. Some of the door fittings and timbers in the tower frame also came from the stave church.
Painted interior
The richly decorated interior contrasts with the plain exterior. Yellow and red wall paintings include flowers, grape clusters, and apostles. Niels Maler carried out the decoration around 1658–60. Every other ceiling beam in the nave bears a biblical quotation, and an inscription above the choir doorway commemorates the verses.
Altar and furnishings
The altar is a 1589 catechism altarpiece, a cabinet that presents religious teaching through written passages rather than devotional images. Originally used in the stave church, it is described as Norway’s oldest. Its open doors reveal wooden surfaces covered with biblical quotations; its triangular gable carries Christian IV’s royal arms and an inscription. Christian IV ruled Denmark and Norway from 1588 to 1648. The pulpit dates to 1626, and the priest’s chair in the choir to 1652. The original pews survive and were arranged by family, with women and men seated together. The baptismal font is an iron ring. A brass baptismal basin from the 17th century is now used in the new Gaupne Church.
