# Sunnylven Church

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Church in Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Church in Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Sunnylven Church Sunnylven kyrkje View of the Sunnylven Church at Hellesylt Credit: Miguel Angel Barroso Lorenzo Sunnylven Church 62°05′07″N 6°51′58″E / 62.0853880779°N 6.8661750556°E / 62.0853880779; 6.8661750556 Location Stranda Municipality, Møre og Romsdal Country Norway Denomination Church of Norway Churchmanship Evangelical Lutheran History Status Parish church Founded 12th century Consecrated 7 August 1859 Architecture Functional status Active Architect(s) Ludolph Rolfsen Hans Linstow Architectural type Long church Completed 1859 (167 years ago) (1859) Specifications Capacity 400 Materials Wood Administration Diocese Møre bispedømme Deanery Nordre Sunnmøre prosti Parish Sunnylven Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site Type Church Status Listed ID 85003

**Sunnylven Church** ([Norwegian](/source/Norwegian_language): *Sunnylven kyrkje*) is a [parish church](/source/Parish_church) of the [Church of Norway](/source/Church_of_Norway) in [Stranda Municipality](/source/Stranda_Municipality) in [Møre og Romsdal](/source/M%C3%B8re_og_Romsdal) county, [Norway](/source/Norway). It is located in the village of [Hellesylt](/source/Hellesylt), at the end of the [Sunnylvsfjorden](/source/Sunnylvsfjorden). It is the church for the Sunnylven [parish](/source/Parish) which is part of the [Nordre Sunnmøre prosti](/source/Nordre_Sunnm%C3%B8re_prosti) ([deanery](/source/Deanery)) in the [Diocese of Møre](/source/Diocese_of_M%C3%B8re). The white, wooden church was built in a [long church](/source/Long_church) style in 1859 by the builder [Ludolph Rolfsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ludolph_Rolfsen&action=edit&redlink=1) who used plans by the [architect](/source/Architect) [Hans Linstow](/source/Hans_Linstow). The church seats about 400 people.[1][2]

## History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to 1432 where it was mentioned in [Aslak Bolt's cadastre](/source/Aslak_Bolt's_cadastre), but there has been a church here in the Hellesylt area dating back to at least the year 1150. The first Sunnylven Church was likely a wooden [stave church](/source/Stave_church) that was probably built in the 12th century. This church was located on the Korsbrekke farm, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) southeast of the present site of the church in the village of Hellesylt. During the 15th or 16th centuries, the old stave church was expanded into a [cruciform](/source/Cruciform) design by adding [timber-framed](/source/Timber-framed) [transepts](/source/Transepts) to the north and south sides of the [nave](/source/Nave). At some point, the old [choir](/source/Choir_(architecture)) for the stave church was torn down and replaced with a timber-framed choir.[3][4][5]

On 15 March 1727, a large [avalanche](/source/Avalanche) came down the nearby mountain and destroyed the old church. At that time, they chose to replace the church with a new building, but it was also decided to build it in a new location. The new church would be built on the southwest side of the village of Hellesylt, on a hill overlooking the village. This new church was [consecrated](/source/Consecrate) in 1730. The new building was a [timber-framed](/source/Timber-framed) [cruciform](/source/Cruciform) design.[5][6]

The 1730 cruciform church was in use until [Pentecost Sunday](/source/Pentecost_Sunday) 1858, when it was closed and torn down shortly after. Once the site was cleared, work began on a new [long church](/source/Long_church) building on the same site. Work progressed over the summer and fall of 1858, and it was [consecrated](/source/Consecrated) the following year on 7 August 1859. Captain Ludolph Rolfsen from the nearby [Stryn Municipality](/source/Stryn_Municipality) designed the church based on drawings by [Hans Linstow](/source/Hans_Linstow). Rolfsen also headed the construction of [Hornindal Church](/source/Hornindal_Church) and [Nedstryn Church](/source/Nedstryn_Church), both in the [Nordfjord](/source/Nordfjord) region to the south of here, and these churches share many features. Shipbuilder [Nils A. Liaaen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nils_A._Liaaen&action=edit&redlink=1) of [Sunnylven Municipality](/source/Sunnylven_Municipality) designed [Sylte Church](/source/Sylte_Church) in 1862 and was probably inspired by this church at Hellesylt.[5][6][7]

Playwright [Henrik Ibsen](/source/Henrik_Ibsen) visited Hellesylt in the summer of 1862[8] when this church was new and Sunnylven with [Geiranger](/source/Geiranger) had just been named a separate [prestegjeld](/source/Prestegjeld) (parish). [Sunnylven Municipality](/source/Sunnylven_Municipality) and the local priest, Rev. [Ole Olsen Barman](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ole_Olsen_Barman&action=edit&redlink=1) (born 1816),[9] was an inspiration for Ibsen's dramatic poem *[Brand](/source/Brand_(play))*.[10]

## Media gallery

		- Colored photo, circa 1900.

		- Hellesylt with church late 1800s, [Sunnylvsfjorden](/source/Sunnylvsfjorden) in the background. *Credit: [Axel Lindahl](/source/Axel_Lindahl_(photographer))*

## See also

- [List of churches in Møre](/source/List_of_churches_in_M%C3%B8re)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Sunnylven kyrkje, Hellesylt"](https://kirkesok.no/kirke/152500301). Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 25 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker"](http://www.kirkekonsulenten.no/kirker.htm) (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 25 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-kms1_3-0)** ["Sunnylven gamle kirkested - Korsbrekke"](https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=215469) (in Norwegian). [Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage](/source/Norwegian_Directorate_for_Cultural_Heritage). Retrieved 25 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Sunnylven kyrkje"](http://mr.kulturnett.no/institusjon/sunnylven-kyrkje) (in Norwegian). Kulturnett: Møre og Romsdal. Retrieved 28 June 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NK_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NK_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NK_5-2) ["Sunnyvlen kirke"](https://www.norske-kirker.net/home/more-og-romsdal/sunnylven-kirke/). *Norges-Kirker.no* (in Norwegian). Retrieved 31 July 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kms2_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kms2_6-1) ["Sunnylven kyrkjestad"](https://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=85003) (in Norwegian). [Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage](/source/Norwegian_Directorate_for_Cultural_Heritage). Retrieved 25 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Ekroll, Øystein (2012). *Sunnmørskyrkjene - historie, kunst og arkitektur* (in Norwegian). Larsnes: Bla.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-snl_8-0)** [Store norske leksikon](/source/Store_norske_leksikon). ["Henrik Ibsen (utdypning)"](https://snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Henrik_Ibsen/utdypning) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 28 June 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Lampe, Johan Fredrik (1895). *Bergens Stifts Biskoper og Præster efter Reformationen: Biografiske Efterretninger*. Kristiania: Cammermeyers Boghandel. pp. 247 and 293.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Koht, Halvdan (1954). *Henrik Ibsen - eit diktarliv*. Vol. 1. Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 249.

v t e Church of Norway churches in the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway Fjord Municipality: Norddal Stordal Old Stordal Sylte Giske Municipality: Giske Godøy Valderøy Vigra Haram Municipality: Brattvåg Fjørtoft Hamnsund Haram Hildre Lepsøy Vatne Stranda Municipality: Geiranger Liabygda Stranda Sunnylven Sula Municipality: Langevåg Indre Sula Sykkylven Municipality: Ikornnes Sykkylven Ålesund Municipality: Borgund Ellingsøy Harøy Sandøy Skarbøvik Skodje Spjelkavik Volsdalen Ørskog Ålesund

Authority control databases: Artists KulturNav

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sunnylven Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnylven_Church) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnylven_Church?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.