Alstahaug Church
The church of Alstahaug ( Alstahaug kirke ) in the municipality of Alstahaug is one of three medieval stone churches in Helgeland ; the other two churches are in Dønnes and Herøy. The building is used for church services and concerts.
The construction of the Romanesque hall church began around 1200 and is believed to have replaced an older wooden church. It was consecrated to St. Margaret. A sculpture of the patron saint, which comes from this church, is now in the Museum of Natural History and Archeology in Trondheim .
Two construction phases can be distinguished. The choir room has the oldest structure . Its south portal, flanked by two columns with an Attic base and vaulted by an arch with the ornament of the "sunken stars" ( karveskurdstjernene ) typical of the time , enables the construction period to be determined more precisely. The second construction phase can be dated to around 1250.
From 1863 to 1865, the Alstahaug church was extensively rebuilt and modernized. In order to enlarge the main nave, part of the medieval structure was torn down. The building material was obtained from a quarry near the church. The result of these conversions was a typical 19th century church with a church tower in front and large windows. The relatively narrow, medieval passage to the chancel remained in the interior. A restoration took place in the 1960s that gave the church back its medieval appearance: the steep roof, the small windows and the roof turret with its typical onion shape returned. The church was put back into use on June 21, 1970.
The baroque altarpiece was purchased around 1630, when Peder Pedersen was the pastor here. Flanked by figures of the apostles, the Last Supper is depicted on the predella below, above the crucifixion , above the resurrection , with Christ emerging from the grave holding a victory flag, which, strangely enough , is depicted as Danebrog .
The poet and Bible translator Petter Dass was pastor of Alstahaug from 1689 to 1707. Parsonage and parish barn, two wooden buildings painted red, housed the Petter Dass Museum until a new museum building was built. Dass did not live here, however, as the rectory was probably built after his death.
Web links
- KulturPunkt: Alstahaug church
- Store norske leksikon: Alstahaug kirke
- Arkitekturguide Nord-Norge og Svalbard: Alstahaug kirke (Alstahaug Church)
Coordinates: 65 ° 53 ′ 38.4 " N , 12 ° 23 ′ 52.1" E