Selje Church


Selje Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Stad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Selje. It is the church for the Selje parish which is part of the Nordfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1866 by the architect Frederik Hannibal Stockfleth. The church seats about 420 people. The building was consecrated on 13 May 1866 by the Bishop Peter Hersleb Graah Birkeland.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to around the year 1100. Selje is an old church site. Originally, the church was located on the small island of Selja, just off the coast of the present-day village of Selje. From the 12th until the 16th century, the old Selje Abbey was a major religious center for the region. A stave church was built at Bø on the island of Selja, not far from the Abbey. This church was located on the south side of the island, and it was known as the Fylkeskyrkja. By the year 1340, the church was described by the archbishop as being in poor condition due to neglect. That church was torn down in 1654, and a replacement church was built at Hove on the mainland, just across the bay, approximately where the present church stands today.
This new church was used from 1654 until 1866 when it was taken down and moved to Leikanger to become the present Leikanger Church. The old church was taken down and moved to make room for building a new, larger Selje Church which still stands today.

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