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Norway: the treasure of wooden churches, last vestiges of Viking Scandinavia
Norway: the treasure of wooden churches, last vestiges of Viking Scandinavia
(France 2)
In Norway, stave churches are the last vestiges of medieval Scandinavia, the early Christians of northern Europe, and the end of the Viking Age. These buildings are preserved by inhabitants who are proud of their heritage.
They look like something straight out of a book of tales and legends: Norwegian wooden churches are the legacy of the Vikings and the first Christians in northern Europe. Their strange silhouette has survived the centuries, but for how much longer? While Scandinavia had thousands of these buildings in the Middle Ages, there are only about twenty left today, in Norway alone. Tourists from all over the world come to admire them.
With their frame made entirely of wood, without nails or screws, they are unique, but also vulnerable. “The entire weight of the church rests on these pillars, this method no longer exists today”explains Maxence Bennour-Ferrari, a guide at one of these exceptional monuments. North of Oslo, an entire community has fought to breathe new life into their local treasure. Every two years, the building must be coated with tar to protect the wood. In another municipality, residents have embarked on rebuilding their medieval church using forgotten techniques.