Vigra Church

{{short description|Church in Møre og Romsdal, Norway}} {{Infobox church |name = Vigra Church |full_name = Vigra kyrkje |former_name = |image = Vigra kirke.jpg |caption = View of the church |website = |coordinates = {{coord|62.5637493365|6.07816189527|region:NO_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}} |location = [[Giske Municipality]],<br />[[Møre og Romsdal]] |country = [[Norway]] |churchmanship = [[Evangelical Lutheran]] |denomination = [[Church of Norway]] |diocese = [[Diocese of Møre|Møre bispedømme]] |deanery = [[Nordre Sunnmøre prosti]] |parish = Vigra |status = [[Parish church]] |functional_status = Active |founded = 13th century |consecrated = 24 January 1894 |completed = {{Start date and age|p=y|1894}} |closed = |events = |architect = [[Gabriel Smith (architect)|Gabriel Smith]] |architectural_type = [[Long church]] |style = |materials = Wood |capacity = 500 |embedded = {{Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site |embed = yes |Type = Church |Status = Listed |ID = 85832 }} }}

'''Vigra Church''' ({{langx|no|Vigra kyrkje}}) is a [[parish church]] of the [[Church of Norway]] in [[Giske Municipality]] in [[Møre og Romsdal]] county, [[Norway]]. It is located on the island of [[Vigra (island)|Vigra]], about {{convert|3|km}} southwest of the village of [[Roald]]. It is the church for the Vigra [[parish]] which is part of the [[Nordre Sunnmøre prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Møre]]. The white, wooden church was built in a [[long church]] design in 1894 using plans drawn up by the [[architect]] [[Gabriel Smith (architect)|Gabriel Smith]]. The church seats about 500 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vigra kyrkje |url=https://kirkesok.no/kirke/153200201 |access-date=2019-08-08 |publisher=Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker |url=http://www.kirkekonsulenten.no/kirker.htm |access-date=2019-08-08 |publisher=KirkeKonsulenten.no |language=no}}</ref>

==History== The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to 1432, but the church was not new at that time. The original Vigra Church was a wooden [[stave church]] that was located in the village of [[Roald]], about {{convert|3|km}} northeast of the present day site of the church. The church was possibly built in the 13th century. Very little is known about this old medieval stave church except that it existed until 1756 when it was struck by [[lightning]] and burned down. A new [[timber-framed]], [[cruciform]] church was constructed on the same site in 1756. Over time, the new church was deemed to be too small, so on 12 December 1890, the parish council voted to build a new church. This time, it was decided to move the site of the church to the central part of the island, about {{convert|3|km}} to the southwest. So, on 7 October 1892, a [[foundation stone]] was laid for the new church on the new site. On 24 January 1894, the Bishop [[Waldemar Hvoslef]] [[consecrate]]d the new building for use. The cost of the new church was {{NOK|26,500|link=yes}}. The old church building in Roald was torn down in the spring of 1896.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vigra kyrkje |url=https://kyrkja.no/nn-NO/fellesrad/giske-kyrkjelege-fellesrad/kyrkjene-vare/vigra-kyrkje/ |access-date=2021-08-05 |publisher=Giske kyrkjelege fellesråd |language=no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vigra gamle kirkested - Kyrkjehaugen på Roald |url=http://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=123391 |access-date=2019-08-08 |publisher=[[Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage]] |language=no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vigra kyrkjestad / Vigra kyrkje 3 |url=http://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=85832 |access-date=2019-08-08 |publisher=[[Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage]] |language=no}}</ref>

==See also== *[[List of churches in Møre]]

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Giske Municipality]] [[Category:Churches in Møre og Romsdal]] [[Category:Long churches in Norway]] [[Category:Wooden churches in Norway]] [[Category:19th-century Church of Norway church buildings]] [[Category:Churches completed in 1894]] [[Category:13th-century establishments in Norway]]