Oddernes Church

Historie

Oddernes Church is a parish church in Kristiansand municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the district of Lund in the borough of Lund in the city of Kristiansand. The church is part of the Oddernes parish in the Kristiansand arch-deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, stone church was built around the year 1040, making it the oldest building in the city of Kristiansand. The chancel has rubble walls and a semi-circular apse, testifying to the church's medieval origins. The newer additions such as the tower are made out of wood. The church was the main church for the old municipality of Oddernes which existed from 1838 until 1965. The church seats about 395 people.HistoryBefore the churchFindings in burial mounds in the area testify to a settlement dating back to AD 400. It is also believed that there was a royal residence in Oddernes prior to the year 800. Some historians believe there was once a wooden church or stave church on the site where the present stone church is located. Before the Protestant Reformation, the church was dedicated St. Olaf.