Røldal stavkyrkje was built around 1250 and became Norway's second most important pilgrimage site after Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. Pilgrims came from across Scandinavia, drawn by the church's crucifix, which according to legend sweated drops of moisture every Midsummer Eve. The sweat was believed to heal the sick, and the practice of collecting it continued until 1835, longer than any other pilgrimage tradition in Norway.
The crucifix itself dates from the late 1200s and still hangs inside the church. It is a Romanesque carved figure, unusually large for a stave church of this size. The pilgrimage brought considerable wealth to this remote mountain village, and the church interior reflects that prosperity with medieval decorations and fittings that survive to this day.
The building is a single-nave stave church with a later added apse. Its construction shows the typical technique of vertical staves resting on horizontal sills laid on a stone foundation, keeping the timber off the ground. The exterior has been re-clad over the centuries but the structural core remains medieval.
The church is open for guided tours during the summer months. It sits in the centre of Røldal village, at 414 metres above sea level, surrounded by peaks reaching over a thousand metres.
The crucifix itself dates from the late 1200s and still hangs inside the church. It is a Romanesque carved figure, unusually large for a stave church of this size. The pilgrimage brought considerable wealth to this remote mountain village, and the church interior reflects that prosperity with medieval decorations and fittings that survive to this day.
The building is a single-nave stave church with a later added apse. Its construction shows the typical technique of vertical staves resting on horizontal sills laid on a stone foundation, keeping the timber off the ground. The exterior has been re-clad over the centuries but the structural core remains medieval.
The church is open for guided tours during the summer months. It sits in the centre of Røldal village, at 414 metres above sea level, surrounded by peaks reaching over a thousand metres.
