Øye Stave Church

Photo: Fredrik Eriksen

Øye Stave Church was demolished in 1747, when a new log-built church was constructed for the village. In 1935, no fewer than 156 pieces of the old stave church were discovered beneath the floor of its replacement. These formed the basis for the reconstruction of the old stave church between 1953 and 1965.

Key Facts

• Built in the late 1100s • Located in Vang, Innlandet • Still functions as an active parish church

Brief Overview

• Preserved stave core with later timber expansions • Interior features historic furnishings and painted decoration • Set in the scenic Vang and Valdres landscape

Unique Features

• One of the stave churches relocated and rebuilt in the 1700s • Combines medieval structure with later reconstruction • Part of the historic Valdres stave church cluster

History of the Church

The stave church has a rectangular exterior with steep, shingle-covered roofs. The chancel at the eastern end is narrower and lower than the nave, and covered galleries surround the entire church. The two carved portals in the church today are copies; the medieval originals are held in museums. The interior is simple, with exposed timber. The floorboards are original, but much of the remaining building material consists of copies and reconstructed elements of the old church. A medieval crucifix, repainted at a later date, hangs in the chancel. A painted altar frontal—a panel with imagery decorating the front of an altar—is preserved in a museum. The medieval baptismal font, carved from a single piece of wood, came from St Thomas’s Church on Filefjell when it was demolished in 1808. The font’s lid also survives.