Alvastra () is a small village in
Ödeshög Municipality in eastern
Sweden. It is known for being the seat of the
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...
Alvastra Abbey in the Middle Ages, established in 1143 by French monks.
After the Swedish Lutheran reformation in the 1530s, the monastery was demolished, never to be rebuilt.
The Alvastra monastery ruin is today well preserved and popular place to visit.
See also
*
Alvastra pile-dwelling
References
Populated places in Östergötland County
{{Östergötland-geo-stub