The venerable Vigatunet Farm Museum

Morten Hetland

Morten Hetland

The museum courtyard in Viga has a high cultural-historical value. Most of the museum buildings in Viga form a tight courtyard, which has remained this way since 1821.

The museum complex in Viga consists of six buildings in a tight cluster, in addition to a drying house, a mill house, and a boathouse outside the cluster. In 2014, there were just under 500 visitors to Vigatunet.

In written sources, the farm can be traced back to the 16th century, but the way the cluster looks now is a result of the last re-allocation in 1821.

“The buildings in Viga represent high historical value, and show the development of traditional craftsmanship and building practices over several hundred years. In addition, the buildings represent a typical local building tradition, with log cabins, barns, and food storage buildings, with post and beam construction in the outbuildings and with slate roofs,” says building conservator Grete Holmboe.

The museum buildings in Viga were long neglected by the Ryfylke Museum, but in 2009 the museum began a comprehensive restoration project using old building techniques and methods. Despite some of the building materials being replaced in the restoration work, Vigatunet still testifies to how the people of Ryfylke lived in past times.

OLD AND NEW: Both the Barn (closest) and the Main House have been restored by the craftsmen of the Ryfylke Museum in recent times. (Photo: Vegard Terøy)
FRUIT HISTORY: An old stone wall separates the main house of the farm from the fruit historical garden, which was opened in 1990. (Photo: Vegard Terøy)
FOOD STORAGE: The food storage building stands as a witness to earlier traditions of long-term food storage in separate food storage buildings in the farm cluster. (Photo: Vegard Terøy)
CHOPPING BLOCK: The axe and chopping block are ready in the woodshed in the main house. Behind is the Sissela cabin. (Photo: Vegard Terøy)
WITNESS TO TIME: In Vigatunet, it’s almost as if time stands still, at least if one is to believe this hourglass. (Photo: Morten Hetland)
THE COOKING HOUSE: After the restoration, the cooking house can be used for baking sour cakes and potato cakes. Anna Sæbø shows how it should be done. (Photo: Morten Hetland)
FRUIT FARM: Vigatunet has rich fruit traditions. (Photo: Morten Hetland)
MANY OBJECTS: In Vigatunet, you will find around 2000 objects related to life on the farm, including these milk cans. (Photo: Morten Hetland)
CLOSELY BUILT: Viga was one of the largest farms in Hjelmeland, even though the buildings were closely built. (Photo: Vegard Terøy)
WEATHERED: The cooking house in Vigatunet was restored in 2009-2010 but is still strongly affected by the passage of time. (Photo: Morten Hetland)

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