Stave Church (Stafkirkjan)
The Stave Church is a magnificent structure gifted to Iceland by Norway. It was built in 2000 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Iceland’s conversion to Christianity. The Norwegians built the church with great care and attention to detail: the timber was selected specially and every single board was worked by hand.
The Stave Church stands on the grassy Skansinn area by the harbor. It is a replica of the first church in Vestmannaeyjar, which was built by envoys sent by King of Norway Ólafur Tryggvason shortly prior to Iceland’s conversion to Christianity in the year 1000.
Mass is held at the Stave Church a few times a year, and it’s often used for events such as weddings. There’s also a tradition of holding masses to commemorate the beginning and end of the Heimaey eruption.
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