Gildeskål Medieval church receives support for pilot project

The Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage has awarded Gildeskål medieval church NOK 949,000 from the Church Preservation Fund. The funds will go towards a preliminary project for the restoration of the church, which has been in use since the 12th century. 

The Church Preservation Fund received 374 applications for 2026, a new record for the scheme. A total of 208 churches from across the country are receiving grants this year. 

— We are happy that Gildeskål medieval church receives these funds. The church is a rare cultural monument, and it is important that we take care of it — not just as a building, but as a living place for communication and cultural history, says Ole J. Furset, director of the Nordlandsmuseet. 

Gildeskål The medieval church was built around 1130 and was in active use until 1881. It was reconsecrated for ecclesiastical use in 1962 and is today used for church services, weddings and concerts. The church is known for its unique Baroque interior and is an important cultural and historical meeting place for people in Gildeskål and Salten. The Nordlandsmuseet runs information and tours at the church site, and collaborates with Gildeskål municipality , the Church of Norway and Allstad Eiendom to further develop the church site.  

Photo: Ernst Furuhatt

What will the money be used for? 

The preliminary project will provide a systematic basis for future restoration. The most pressing problem is water intrusion and dampness. The preliminary project will make concrete plans for roof restoration, drying and draining of foundations, analysis of plaster and paint, preservation of wooden structures and the church's furnishings, including a massing bowl from 1773. 

The preliminary project will also look into what we know and do not know about the church's architectural and interior history. It will investigate whether there is source material that has not previously been found or reviewed, and a georadar survey of the altar is being considered with a view to possible relics from the Catholic era. 

As part of the work, we want Gildeskål church site to raise regional craftsmanship expertise related to the preservation of old buildings. There is little such expertise in Nordland today, and a successful pilot project could contribute to increased knowledge and new jobs in the county. 

The restoration will not take place behind closed doors. Nordlandsmuseet and Gildeskål church wants to involve the local community through public meetings and volunteer work. Children and young people in Gildeskål and Meløy municipality will be invited to provide input, including through a school program on local cave paintings as a gateway to the history of the church and the region's faith. 

The church is already a place for communication. The Nordlandsmuseet offers guided tours of the church and the church site. Olsok is celebrated every year with lectures, concerts and rømmegrøt (a type of sour cream porridge) in the rectory garden. 

Part of a larger lift 

The church site also includes a neo-Gothic wooden church from 1881, a rectory from 1750 with a garden, storehouse and barn. In collaboration with Gildeskål municipality Nordlandsmuseet is planning to establish a religious history museum of national size. Work is also underway to establish a St. Olav Trail from Trondenes to Nidaros, where Gildeskål Church site is one of the key locations.