Alvastra Abbey (''Alvastra klosterruin'') was a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, 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 Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery located at Alvastra in

Östergötland Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English li ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

History

Alvastra monastery was founded in 1143 by French monks who belonged to the

Cistercian Order The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, 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 Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

. A number of monks and lay brothers left the French monastery of

Clairvaux Abbey Clairvaux Abbey (, ''l’abbaye de Clairvaux''; ) was a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, from Bar-sur-Aube. The abbey was founded in 1115 by Bernard of Clairvaux. As a primary abbey, it was one of the most significant monasteri ...

. It was founded at Alvastra in Västra Tollstad parish in Ödeshög municipality on the site of a donation of land by King

Sverker I of Sweden Sverker the Elder (Old Swedish: ''Swærkir konongær gambli''; c. 1100 - 25 December 1156), also known as Sverker I, was King of Sweden from about 1132 until his murder. Of non-royal descent, he founded the House of Sverker, the rulers of which ...

. The monastery church was inaugurated in 1185. For nearly 400 years Alvastra monastery prospered.

Varnhem Abbey Varnhem Abbey () in Varnhem, Västergötland, Sweden was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland. The Cistercian Order used the same floor plan for all its abbeys, which makes it possible to e ...

(''Varnhems kloster'') at Varnhem in

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey. Stefan, Archbishop of Uppsala (''Stephanus'') was a Cistercian monk from Alvastra monastery. The graves of Kings Sverker I,

Carl I Carl I may refer to: * Carl VII of Sweden (ca. 1130–1167), actually the first historically known Swedish Charles. * Carl I of Norway (1409–1470), VIII of Sweden. See also * Charles I (disambiguation) {{hndis, Carl I ...

, Sverker II and

John I John I may refer to: People Religious figures * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John I of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope from 496 to 505 * Pope John I, P ...

, as well as Queens Richeza the Elder,

Benedicta Benedicta may refer to: People * Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate (1652–1730), a German princess * Benedicta Ajudua (born 1980), Nigerian sprinter * Caterina Benedicta Grazianini (1685–1715), composer * Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, r ...

and (probably) Ulvhild are to be found in the abbey ruins. Alvastra monastery was dissolved and appropriated by the Crown at the time of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

in accordance with the

Reduction of Gustav I of Sweden The Reduction of Gustav I of Sweden, was an important reform during the Protestant Swedish Reformation, in which king Gustav I of Sweden ordered a reduction in church property and the return of land to the crown, making the national church depend ...

Gallery

Alvastra kloster - KMB - 16000300019425.jpg Alvastra kloster - KMB - 16000300037886.jpg Alvastra kloster - KMB - 16000300022127.jpg

References

Cistercian monasteries in Sweden 12th-century establishments in Sweden Christian monasteries established in the 1140s 1143 establishments in Europe Medieval history of Sweden Monasteries dissolved under the Swedish Reformation Ruins in Sweden Ödeshög Municipality {{Sweden-struct-stub