Kviteseid Old Church

Kviteseid Old Church (Norwegian: Kviteseid gamle kirke) is a Romanesque church located at Kviteseid in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway.[1]

The altar of Kviteseid Old Church

It was built around 1260 and is situated near the lake Kviteseidvatnet. The edifice is in stone and has approximately 200 seats. The old stone church was built in the Romanesque style and was dedicated to St. Olav. This is among the better preserved stone churches in Telemark. The church has a ceiling with 20 fields decorated with flowers and vines which were painted by Thomas Blix in 1714. The altarpiece is from 1732. The church was restored in 1929 and 1969.

Kviteseid Old Church was the main church of the parish of Kviteseid for almost 700 years until a new church, now called Kviteseid Church, was built in the 20th century. As the parish priest of Kviteseid was also often the provost of Upper Telemark, the church was also the main church of that large region for long periods of time. The church is one of two surviving churches which have served as main churches of Upper Telemark, alongside Seljord Church.[2]

Historically prominent individuals were often buried inside the church under the church floor. Several former parish priests of Kviteseid (and provosts of Upper Telemark) are buried under the church floor, among them Peder Povelsson Paus.[3]