Skåtøy Church
| Skåtøy Church | |
|---|---|
| Skåtøy kirke | |
| Skjærgårdskatedralen | |
View of the church | |
| 58°51′32″N 9°28′33″E / 58.858814°N 9.47573482°E | |
| Location | Kragerø Municipality, Telemark |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Consecrated | 5 September 1862 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | H.E. Schirmer and W. von Hanno |
| Architectural type | Long church |
| Completed | 1862 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 600 |
| Materials | Wood |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Agder og Telemark |
| Deanery | Bamble prosti |
| Parish | Skåtøy |
| Type | Church |
| Status | Listed |
| ID | 85494 |
Skåtøy Church (Norwegian: Skåtøy kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kragerø Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Skåtøy which is located in the skerries just offshore from the town of Kragerø. It is the church for the Skåtøy parish which is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1862 using plans drawn up by the architects Heinrich Ernst Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno. The church seats about 600 people.
The church is sometimes nicknamed the Cathedral of the Skerries (Norwegian: Skjærgårdskatedralen). This historical site is reachable by boat and recalls Kragerø's "golden days". The surrounding 500 islands were the home of farmers, fishermen, lumberjacks and sailors from the 17th century. It is one of the largest churches in Norway built of wood, with seats for 600 people. It was considered the most important church in the region until around 1960.