Stårheim is a small village on the north shore of Nordfjord, about 12 kilometres west of Nordfjordeid. It looks ordinary from the road. In the 1100s it was one of the most powerful places in Norway.
Around 1140, Arne Ivarsson, known simply as Arne på Stårheim, became lendmann here. A lendmann was the king's representative in a region, holding royal lands in return for military and administrative service. Arne married Queen Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter, widow of King Harald Gille. From this farm, the family effectively controlled much of the western coast for two generations. Their son Nikolas Arnesson became Bishop of Oslo in 1190 and was a central figure in the civil wars of the late 1100s, famously clashing with King Sverre.
Nothing of the medieval farm survives above ground. Wooden buildings rot. The name stayed. What you see today is a quiet farming village of a few hundred people. Stårheim kyrkje, a white wooden long church designed by architect Christian Heinrich Grosch, was built in 1864 and is a pleasant stop if it is open.
Around 1140, Arne Ivarsson, known simply as Arne på Stårheim, became lendmann here. A lendmann was the king's representative in a region, holding royal lands in return for military and administrative service. Arne married Queen Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter, widow of King Harald Gille. From this farm, the family effectively controlled much of the western coast for two generations. Their son Nikolas Arnesson became Bishop of Oslo in 1190 and was a central figure in the civil wars of the late 1100s, famously clashing with King Sverre.
Nothing of the medieval farm survives above ground. Wooden buildings rot. The name stayed. What you see today is a quiet farming village of a few hundred people. Stårheim kyrkje, a white wooden long church designed by architect Christian Heinrich Grosch, was built in 1864 and is a pleasant stop if it is open.