Ringebu stave church

In the 1630s, the church was rebuilt by master builder Werner Olsen. The church was then extended to the east with new transepts, a new chancel and sacristy, and the tower and spire were also built at the same time. The porch and apse were removed and the interior roof was lowered.

The restoration of the church, which was completed in 1921, included the ceiling of the ship removed and the 18th century wall decorations restored. In the Middle Ages, the church had two portals. The west portal has the original jambs decorated with animal ornamentation, while remnants of the south portal are preserved under the wall cladding.

The church room has mainly late 17th and early 18th century colors and furnishings. The altarpiece dates from the 1680s and is one of the earliest examples of carved acanthus leaf decoration in Gudbrandsdalen. The carvings on the pulpit and Fredrik IV’s monogram above the choir screen were probably carved by Lars Jensen Borg around the 18th century. The church has also preserved some of its medieval furnishings, including a large and a smaller crucifix from the first half of the 14th century. In the chancel is a medieval sculpture from the mid-13th century, depicting St. Laurence.”

In 1980-81, archaeological excavations were carried out in the ground beneath the church. Around 900 coins and other finds were discovered. Some of this is on display in the Ringebu vicarage. Most of the coins are from the Middle Ages. Post holes were also found for an older church that had stood on the site in the 12th century. The soapstone baptismal font from the oldest stave church is still preserved and stands inside the stave church.