The Hvalsneskirkja, better known by its English name as Hvalsnes Church, is a small church that is located in the settlement of Hvalsnes on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the southwestern part of the island nation of Iceland.
The construction of Hvalsneskirkja began in 1886, and it was completed by the end of 1887. The consecration of this sacred structure took place on Christmas Day that same year, and the church was officially opened to the general public, too. Built entirely from basalt stones by Magnús Magnússon and Stefán Egilsson, it was financed by the ship owner at Kotvogur, Ketill Ketilsson, who also owned the land where the impressive church was built.
There are four windows on each lateral side of the church, with one entrance door that faces the southwest, and two additional windows between the entrance and the tower. The most interesting feature is the tower at the entrance of the church, which has an interesting and unusual rod, with yellow, green, and white colors, so that it would be distinguished from the other churches on the island.
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However, the most remarkable item and artifact in the church is the gravestone of Steinunn Hallgrímsdóttir, who was the daughter of Hallgrímur Pétursson. Hallgrímur was Iceland’s most important psalmist, and when his daughter died in 1649, he was serving as a priest in the parish of Hvalsnes.
Unfortunately, the gravestone had been lost for a long time, even though it had been all the time in the vicinity of the church since it was used as a part of a walkway leading to the church; nonetheless, it was rediscovered in 1964, and ever since then, it has been on display inside the Hvalsneskirkja.
There was an extensive restoration work in 1945 so that the religious structure would be better preserved for future generations, and today this impressive church once again “speaks” about the historic past of the small settlement that looks towards the Atlantic Ocean, with hope that there will be plenty of people who would like to see it in person. Overall, Hvalsneskirkja is not as famous as other structures in Iceland, such as the Harpa Concert Hall, but its unique design will leave a lasting impression on everyone who stops to explore and see this amazing church in person.
