Hólaneskirkja

Background

History & Background

A church is believed to have existed around Spákonufell from about the 13th century. A church was consecrated in the village in 1928. Construction of the present Hólaneskirkja began in 1979 and it was consecrated on 20 October 1991; the older 1928 building was then removed.

Hólaneskirkja is the parish church of Skagaströnd in northwest North Iceland. Work on the current building began in 1979 and continued in stages until the church was consecrated on 20 October 1991. Although the present church is modern, local church history is much older. A church is believed to have stood by Spákonufell from around the 13th century. A later church was built in the growing village in 1928, and that building served the congregation until the current Hólaneskirkja replaced it. The present church preserves objects from earlier local churches, including an altarpiece dated 1784 and communion vessels connected with Spákonufellskirkja. The combination of modern architecture and inherited furnishings makes the church a useful stop for visitors interested in how Icelandic rural congregations evolved as settlements shifted toward the coast.