Vanse Church
Vanse Church (; historic: ) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Farsund Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vanse. It is the main church for the Lista parish which is part of the Lister og Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, stone church was built in a cruciform design around the year 1037 using plans drawn up by an unknown architect. The medieval church was rebuilt and expanded in the 12th century and then again in the mid-19th century. The church currently seats about 850 people. History Given that Lista apparently was a more populous area than Oddernes parish, and that these churches seem to be built by the same teams, Vanse Church has been dated to around the year 1037. The first church may have been built in wood and then replaced by a stone church at a later stage. The stone church may originally have been in the Romanesque style. The church still has pointed arches in early Gothic style. The western part of the nave is the oldest remaining part of the church. Originally, the church had two windows high up