Trondenes church

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trondenes Church in Harstad

Trondenes Church is the northernmost Medieval stone church of Norway, situated in Harstad. Though frequently mentioned as a 13th century church, dating based on dendrochronology places its completion shortly after 1434. Compared to the other ten north Norwegian Medieval stone churches, Trondenes church is well preserved and the exterior is close to the original state. The nave is 22.6 meters long and the chancel is 13.5 meters, making it one of the largest medieval churches of rural Norway. In the late Medieval period, Trondenes served as the main church centre of Northern Norway.

The church is especially known for its rich decorations, including three gothic triptychs, one of which is made by the German hanseatic artist Bernt Notke. The baroque pulpit is equipped with an hourglass to allow the minister to time long sermons. The organ dates from the late 18th century. In the choir section, one can see remnants of medieval frescoes.

The church is probably the third church on the site, the first stave church was built in the 11th century, the second in the 12th. The second church was fortified with stone walls and ramparts, remnants of which can be seen around the church.

The church used to have a little turret, which was demolished. Now the bells are rung from a little tower in the graveyeard.