Undredal Stave Church

The church tower rises above four posts in the western part of the nave. It was originally a freestanding bell tower outside the church, but when the nave was extended westwards in the seventeenth century, the tower’s supporting structure was incorporated into the interior. The chancel, also a later addition, is the same width as the nave but has a lower roof. Both the chancel and nave have vaulted ceilings. The four posts in the nave’s outer walls mark the church’s original dimensions. This load-bearing framework, with upright posts—or “staves”—secured between a horizontal beam above and a sill beam below, identifies it as a stave church. Six crosses can be seen on the corner posts and side walls. There were originally twelve, representing the twelve Apostles, carved when the church was consecrated. Apart from a medieval church bell, all the furnishings and decoration date from after the Reformation. The colourful wall paintings, featuring draperies and bouquets of flowers, date from the seventeenth century. The ceiling is painted with a starry sky and angels. These decorations were uncovered in 1962, having been painted over since the 1860s. The Renaissance-style pulpit dates from 1696. The chandelier was made in Augsburg in southern Germany between 1650 and 1750 and arrived in Undredal in the early nineteenth century. It is adorned with a figure of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune. Other furnishings include the baptismal basin, first mentioned in 1686, and the bridal bench from 1696. What makes Undredal Church unique is its continuous use, which continues to this day, bearing witness to almost a thousand years of religious and architectural development.