Kirkjubøur ( da, Kirkebø) is the southernmost village on

Streymoy Streymoy ( da, Strømø) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also i ...

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

. The village is located on the south-west coast of

and has a view towards the islands of

Hestur Hestur ( da, Hestø) is an island in the central Faroe Islands, to the west of Streymoy and the south of Koltur. ''Hestur'' means ''horse'' in Faroese. On the west coast is a guillemot colony. In the north there is moorland with four small lakes, ...

and

Koltur Koltur ( da, Kolter) is an island in the Faroe Islands, located to the west of Streymoy and to the north-west of Hestur. The name 'Koltur' means ' colt', in contrast with the name of the larger island to the south-east, 'Hestur', which means 'hors ...

towards the west, and to

Sandoy Sandoy ("Sand Island") is the first of the five southern islands that make up the Faroe chain, the fifth biggest of all the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. It also refers to the region that includes this island alon ...

towards the south. It lies south of the new ferry port of

Gamlarætt Gamlarætt is a ferry port in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the southwestern side of the island of Streymoy, the largest island in the Faroes, between the villages of Velbastaður and Kirkjubøur. It accommodates ferry services to the isl ...

, which opened in 1993. The village is the Faroes' most important historical site, with the ruins of the Magnus Cathedral from around 1300, Saint Olav's Church (''Olavskirkjan''), from the 12th century and the old farmhouse of Kirkjubøargarður from the 11th century. In 1832, a runestone was found near the Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur. The stone which is referred to as the Kirkjubøur stone dates back to the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

. The little islet just of the coast, Kirkjubøhólmur, contains an

eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quil ...

duck colony. To the village belongs the islet of Trøllhøvdi, just 100m off the northern tip of

9 km away from Kirkjubøur. It was given as payment to the villagers, as it was their duty to ferry people across to Sandoy in medieval times.

History

The village was important in the Middle Ages. At that time it was the episcopal residence for the Diocese of the Faroe Islands and as such the spiritual centre of the society. In those days the village is said to have had around 50 houses. The majority of these houses were washed away by a fierce storm in the 16th century, which created the islet Kirkjubøhólmurin, which contains ruins from that time. It is speculated that the church located the diocese in Kirkjubø, to counter the heathen Vé in Velbastaður only 5 km to the north west up the coast. There are three main attractions from this time: * Magnus Cathedral ruins from about 1300. * Saint Olav's Church, the oldest still used church of the Faroes dating from 12th century. * Kirkjubøargarður, the oldest still inhabited wooden house of the world from 11th century.

Notable residents

Sverre I of Norway Sverre Sigurdsson ( non, Sverrir Sigurðarson) (c. 1145/1151 – 9 March 1202) was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202. Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel party ...

(1151–1202), grew up here. * Bishop Erlendur (?-1308), who built the Magnus Cathedral and wrote the Sheep letter, the oldest document of the country. * Súsanna Helena Patursson (1864–1916), first feminist of the Faroes. *

Jóannes Patursson Jóannes Patursson (May 6, 1866 – August 2, 1946) was a Faroese nationalist leader and poet. He served as a member of the Parliament of Denmark and the Parliament of the Faroe Islands. Background Jóannes was born in 1866 as the eldest s ...

(1866–1946), nationalist leader and writer. *

Sverri Patursson Sverri Patursson (1871–1960) was a Faroese writer, author, and journalist. He was also a translator, ornithologist and environmentalist. Patursson was born in the village of Kirkjubøur on Streymoy, Faroe Islands. He attended Vallekilde Fol ...

(1871–1960), writer, journalist and environmentalist. * Erlendur Patursson (1913–1986), writer and nationalist politician. *

Tróndur Patursson Tróndur Patursson (born 1 March 1944 in Kirkjubøur) is a Faroese painter, sculptor, glass artist and explorer. He was educated in Norway and was initially a sculptor. He has since become better known as a painter and glass artist. In February ...

(b. 1944), artist and adventurer.

Kirkjubøur chairs

The medieval carved pew ends from Saint Olav's Church are now to be found in the

National Museum of the Faroe Islands The National Museum of the Faroe Islands ( fo, Tjóðsavn Føroya) is the national museum of the Faroe Islands, located in Tórshavn. The Museum on Brekkutún 6 The National Museum of the Faroe Islands has exhibitions in the museum building on ...

. These were featured in three series of Faroese stamps, engraved by Czeslaw Slania. For the full series, see

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a ...

Gallery

References

External links