Our visit to the Hove Stone Church was just as interesting. This church was built in 1170 as a private church so the wealthy need not worship together with the regular citizens. When the Reformation came to Norway in 1537, all things Catholic were removed and/or destroyed.
As beautiful as the restoration work is, perhaps the most interesting thing about the Hove Church is that Peter Blix is buried there. The Norwegian government outlawed burials within church walls in 1850. Because he owned the church, Blix chose to be buried there when he died in 1901. Quite possibly, the burial took place before the authorities were informed and they decided to let it be.
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| This altar is made of marble |
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| Thick walls for protection from attack, a realistic possibility. |
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| Beautiful tapestries, too. |
Blix was a strict preservationist believing that buildings should be restored to their original condition and intent. This means that a crucifix adorns the interior and the decorations were restored as much as possible.
The tiled floors represent Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The stained glass windows depict Jesus, Moses, and David.
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| Typical slate roof on this small canopy. |
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