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Unadsdalur Church

Region: Westfjords
Coordinates: 66.105825° N 22.583822° W

This church belongs to the Vatnsfiord benefice in the Isafiord deanery. Unadsdalur is a valley and a synonymous, abandoned farm and a church site. This now desolate area was the second westernmost farm property of the so-called Snaefjallastrond County. Before it became a church site a prayer chapel with a cemetery stood there. After a so-called primitive church trail had built from the westernmost farm of the Snaefjallastrond County, Snaefjoll, the church there was abolished and farm Unadsdalur became the parish church site in 1867. Its church was annexed to the Kirkjubol benefice by law in 1880 and served from there until 1908. Then the Island Vigur Reverend took over for a decade until the Reverend at Stadur on the Grunnavik Cove continued for another decade.

After 1928 the Unadsdalur church has been annexed to Vatnsfiord benefice. Around the turn of the 19th century 350 people were registered in the county and seven years later their number had dropped to 150. The present church was built of wood in 1897. It is situated on a flat spit of land on the estuary of River Dalsa and has a high steeple. Earlier churches stood on the old farm ruins inside a cemetery considerably higher at the edge of the home fields. Among the valuable belongings of the church are an ancient copper chandelier from the Snaefjoll church, an altarpiece painted by Anker Lund (Christ heals the Bartholomew the blind) and the crucifix on the left in the choir carved by carpenter Gudmundur Palsson (†1888). In addition the church owns old chandeliers, candlesticks and two large bells in the steeple, one of which dates back to 1791.

Churches in Iceland with Historical and Cultural Interest

Unadsdalur Church in Icelandic