Øystese Church


Øystese Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kvam Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Øystese. It is the church for the Øystese parish which is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1868 using designs by the architect C. Erichsen who used drawings by Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The church seats about 500 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1306, and it was likely built around that time. The first church here was a stave church, located about to the northwest of the present site of the church. In 1845, the church underwent significant repairs. In 1868, a new church was built closer to the shoreline of the fjord, about to the southeast of the old church. After the new church was completed, the old church was torn down. During the demolition, the workers found a coin and other items dating to the early 1300s beneath the foundation, which help to date the construction of the church.

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