Old Veøy Church

Old Veøy Church (Norwegian: Veøy gamle kyrkje) is a former parish church of the Church of Norway in Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the small island of Veøya which lies in the Romsdalsfjorden. It was the main church for the Veøy parish until its closing in 1901. The church was a part of the Molde domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Møre and now it is part of the Romsdal Museum. The white, stone church was built in a long church style in the 1200s by an unknown architect. The church seats about 400 people.[1][2]

Old Veøy Church
Veøy gamle kyrkje
View of the church
Old Veøy Church
Location of the church
Old Veøy Church
Old Veøy Church (Norway)
62.6745°N 7.4278°E / 62.6745; 7.4278
LocationMolde Municipality,
Møre og Romsdal
CountryNorway
DenominationChurch of Norway
Previous denominationCatholic Church
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Lutheran
History
StatusParish church
Architecture
Functional statusPreserved museum
Architectural typeLong church
Completedc. 1200
Specifications
Capacity400
MaterialsStone
Administration
ParishRøvik og Veøy
DeaneryMolde domprosti
DioceseMøre

History

Tradition says that there have been seven churches on the island of Veøya, possibly dating back to the 8th century. This church is stone, covered with white plaster, and it was built around the year 1200. The church was built on the island of Veøya due to the importance of the great Romsdalsfjorden during the Viking Age.[3]

The church was designated as the main church for the parish of Veøy starting in 1480. In 1589, the parish had annex churches located in Bolsøy, Rødven, Kleive, Vestnes, Tresfjord, Vistdal, and Eresfjord.[3]

The church was used for centuries until 1901 when a royal decree was handed down to discontinue its active use. The church continued to be used until 1907 when the new Veøy Church was built on the mainland. The new church was located there so that residents of the parish could more easily reach the church. The old church is now preserved as a historic site and it is no longer regularly used. The church is now jointly owned by the parish, the municipality, and the Romsdal Museum.[3][4]

Jonas Lied donated one-third of his wealth to the renovation of the old church.

  • Interior
  • Vicars Residence next to the church
  • View of the church on the island

See also
  • List of churches in Møre og Romsdal

References
  1. "Veøy gamle kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  3. "Veøy gamle kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  4. "Veøy gamle kyrkje" (in Norwegian). Molde Kirkelige Fellesråd. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
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