| Skåtøy Church | |
|---|---|
| Skåtøy kirke | |
| Skjærgårdskatedralen | |
 View of the church | |
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| 58°51′32″N9°28′33″E / 58.858814°N 9.47573482°E /58.858814; 9.47573482 | |
| Location | Kragerø Municipality, Telemark |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Consecrated | 5 September 1862 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | H.E. Schirmer and W. von Hanno |
| Architectural type | Long church |
| Completed | 1862 (163 years ago) (1862) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 600 |
| Materials | Wood |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Agder og Telemark |
| Deanery | Bamble prosti |
| Parish | Skåtøy |
| Type | Church |
| Status | Listed |
| ID | 85494 |
Skåtøy Church (Norwegian:Skåtøy kirke) is aparish church of theChurch of Norway inKragerø Municipality inTelemark county,Norway. It is located on the island ofSkåtøy which is located in theskerries just offshore from thetown of Kragerø. It is the church for the Skåtøyparish which is part of theBamble prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in along church design in 1862 using plans drawn up by thearchitectsHeinrich Ernst Schirmer andWilhelm von Hanno. The church seats about 600 people.[1][2][3]
The church is sometimes nicknamed theCathedral of the Skerries (Norwegian:Skjærgårdskatedralen). This historical site is reachable by boat and recalls Kragerø's "golden days". The surrounding 500 islands were the home of farmers, fishermen, lumberjacks and sailors from the 17th century. It is one of the largest churches in Norway built of wood, with seats for 600 people. It was considered the most important church in the region until around 1960.[4]
During the 19th century there were demands for a local church on the island of Skåtøy. In 1851, a cemetery wasconsecrated for local use. Nearly ten years later, approval was given to build a church at the cemetery.Heinrich Ernst Schirmer andWilhelm von Hanno were hired to design the new church. The church wasconsecrated on 5 September 1862 by theprovost ofBamble prosti when BishopJacob von der Lippe was unable to attend. The building is a woodenlong church. There was a major refurbishment for the jubilee in 1912, and in 1914 the bell tower was rebuilt. In 1918, a newaltarpiece was installed and it was painted byJulie Gjessing. The motif is from the Gospel of Mark 1:35 ("Early the next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, went out and went to a deserted place, and prayed there") and portrayed Jesus in prayer. There was renovation in 1930 and again in 1954. In winter when there is often lower attendance, a smaller room called theWinter Church is used on the 2nd floor behind the organ gallery.[5][4]
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