Giske | Key site

Giske kyrkje

On the southern side of the island stands the only existing church in Norway built entirely of marble. Giske Church is a long church in Romanesque style dating from the mid-12th century. The chapel was probably built as a proprietary church - that is, a private church erected by the powerful landowner at Giske on his own estate.

The church was therefore most likely a manor chapel for the Giske family. On June 11, 1345, Pope Clement 6. a letter of indulgence to the chapel at Giske. It also states that the patron saints of the chapel were the Virgin Mary and the evangelists John and Nicholas. In the papal letter, 100 days of indulgence for committed sins were granted to those who visited the church on the feast days of the saints to whom the church was dedicated. This indulgence letter thus made the church at Giske a pilgrimage church from the mid-14th century onward.

Giske Church has approximately 130 seats. A crucifixion group from the 13th century once hung in the chapel and is now preserved at the University Museum of Bergen. The church fell into disrepair after the Reformation and stood as a ruin for several decades. It was renovated in the 18th century, and parts of the interior, such as the altarpiece, date from that period.

Sights on Giske Island

Giskespelet

Giskespelet is a historical outdoor play about the struggle for royal power and the Christian faith 1,000 years ago at historic Giske. The play centers on the period around 1030, just before and after the Battle of Stiklestad, where St. Olav.

Powerful men from Giske helped shape Norwegian history, and Giskespelet provides a dramatic insight into the Giske family’s internal conflicts and loyalty to the king. The Giske family was one of the major noble families of medieval Norway. The family originated from the island of Giske in Sunnmøre, and their forefather is considered to be Torberg Arnesson Giske. He was the son of Arne Arnmodsson, who died in 1024 and belonged to the Arnmødlings lineage.

The performance venue, with the Guild Hall (a warm and cozy Viking-style hall) built using traditional historical construction methods, is well worth a visit even when there is no performance. The authentic Guild Hall can be rented and arranged for visitors with food service, storytelling, plays, and various Viking activities.

Sommerfesten at Giske

Sommerfesten at Giske is an annual community-funded festival for families, featuring music and activities. It is a different kind of festival where visitors choose how much they wish to pay for admission.

Makkevika

Giske is one of the most important bird-ringing stations in Europe for wading birds. The shoreline area of Makkevika, approximately 285 acres in the northwest, includes sandy areas, pebble beaches, and wetlands. It is a protected reserve for migratory wading birds traveling south and north during autumn and spring. Here, you can also experience seals playing along the shore.

Mjeltehaugen from the Bronze Age

Mjeltehaugen in Giske municipality is one of the most remarkable burial monuments in Norway. The mound, which is 30 meters in diameter and 6–9 meters high, contains a decorated burial cist whose closest parallel is the Kivik grave in Scania, Sweden. The person buried in this mound around 1300–1100 BC must have been of very high status. This individual likely had connections to southern parts of Scandinavia and perhaps even as far as Central Europe.