Tjølling Church

The masonry church at Tjølling was likely built around 1150. Since its inception the church has undergone many a restoration.The basilica was devoted to St. Mikael, Sta. Maria and Sta. Sunniva during medieval times. A 1461 source tells of the priest of Tjølling once borrowed a book from the abbess Elin Jonsdotter, when embarking on his pilgrimage to Rome. He also pawned a farm as warranty/ransom.

This is a church for the whole community of Tjølling and has been a place of comfort both in happiness and grief through many generations. In addition, Tjøllingvollen was the place of the folkmoot Ϸjođalyng. I might have been the local herađsting, the folkmoot accommodating the heathen farming community before Christianity. In the area of the grove archaeologists have found 745 cooking pits which points to big thing gatherings and other assemblies through the century in early iron age, prior to the Viking age.

To the east of the church lays the esteemed rectory, its buildings dating to 1805. The original rectory burned down in 1376, they then rebuilt it in another place and later moved it back to its original location.

The church and cemetery are both protected by the Norwegian Law of Cultural Heritage.