Gjerpen Church
Gjerpen Church (Norwegian: Gjerpen kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Skien Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the town of Skien. It is one of the churches for the Gjerpen parish which is part of the Skien prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The tan, stone church was built in a cruciform design around the year 1153 using plans drawn up by an unknown architect. The church seats about 485 people.
| Gjerpen Church | |
|---|---|
| Gjerpen kirke | |
View of the church | |
| 59°13′27″N 9°36′28″E | |
| Location | Skien Municipality, Telemark |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Previous denomination | Catholic Church |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Consecrated | 28 May 1153 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Cruciform |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Completed | c. 1153 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 485 |
| Materials | Stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Agder og Telemark |
| Deanery | Skien prosti |
| Parish | Gjerpen |
Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site | |
| Type | Church |
| Status | Automatically protected |
| ID | 84252 |
The church is still used for regular worship services as well as weddings, baptisms, and other religious events. It has seating for about 450 and room for 600 people. It is one of the few remaining building in Norway dating from the Middle Ages that are still in use. The church has a more modern chapel that is used in combination for ceremonies. The graveyard is still in use and maintained to this day.
The church is one of the oldest existing churches in Norway; it is believed the church was consecrated 28 May 1153 and dedicated to the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The 850th anniversary was celebrated in 2003.