Alvastra Abbey, once a Cistercian monastery in Sweden, is now a ruin. It was founded in 1143 by French monks who belonged to the Cistercian Order. A number of monks and lay brothers left the French monastery of Clairvaux Abbey. 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. The monastery church was inaugurated in 1185. For nearly 400 years, Alvastra monastery prospered. Varnhem Abbey at Varnhem in Västergötland was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey. Stefan, Archbishop of Uppsala, was a Cistercian monk from Alvastra monastery.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.