Old Gimmestad Church

Old Gimmestad Church
Gimmestad gamle kyrkje
View of the church
Old Gimmestad Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county Old Gimmestad Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county
61°46′21″N 6°08′37″E / 61.7725°N 6.14361°ECoordinates: 61°46′21″N 6°08′37″E / 61.7725°N 6.14361°E
Location	Gloppen Municipality, Sogn og Fjordane
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Completed	1692
Specifications
Capacity	70
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Gimmestad
Deanery	Nordfjord prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Bjørgvin

Old Gimmestad Church (Norwegian: Gimmestad gamle kyrkje) is a parish church in Gloppen Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the village of Sørstranda. The church is part of the Gimmestad parish in the Nordfjord deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The wooden church was built in 1692 and was in regular use until 1910 when the new Gimmestad Church was completed. It is one of the few churches in the country with a red exterior. The church seats about 70 people. Since 1910, the church has been preserved as a historic site and is occasionally used for religious services or weddings.^[1][2][3]

The Old Gimmestad Church is representative of typical Norwegian church architecture from the period after the Reformation. Although changes were made to its walls, the church has retained most of its original features. The most significant change was made around 1720, when the church was painted red and embellished with flower motifs. During that same renovation project the ceiling was painted blue and stars were drawn on it. At the back of the church building is a christening house or front house. In the old days, babies were christened in this room. It was the custom in those days to then carry the baby from this room to the altar.^[4]

The altarpiece of the Old Gimmestad Church.

The unique personalized benches in the Old Gimmestad Church.

A cod in the church, symbolizing Jonah and the whale.

See also

• List of churches in Sogn og Fjordane

References

1. "Gimmestad gamle kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
3. "Gimmestad gamle kyrkje" (in Norwegian). NRK Fylkesleksikon. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
4. "Old Gimmestad Church". Destination Stryn & Nordfjord. Retrieved 26 October 2013.