Varnhem Abbey
 Varnhem Abbey church, with ruins of the ancient abbey to the right. | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Cistercians |
| Site | |
| Location | Varnhem,Västra Götaland County,Sweden |
| Coordinates | 58°23′03″N13°39′15″E/ 58.38417°N 13.65417°E |
Varnhem Abbey(Swedish:Varnhems kloster) inVarnhem,Västergötland,Swedenwas founded around 1150 bymonksof theCistercian OrderfromAlvastra AbbeyinÖstergötland.
The Cistercian Order used the samefloor planfor all itsabbeys,which makes it possible to easily locate the different rooms and halls regardless of the building site.
History
[edit]Awoodenand a stonechurchwere both erected on the site before the abbey was built. The stone church was erected in the 1040s at the latest, and is theoldest known stone churchinSweden(excludingSkåne). According toradiocarbon dating,the oldestChristianman buried there died in the period 780-970. From other radiocarbon evidence, the Christian burials seem to have begun during the 10th century.
A rich lady named Sigrid, probably a widow, donated the property to the cistercian monks, butthe queentried to revoke the donation and instead seize the property herself. The queen's attempts failed and the monks established the abbey in 1150.[1]The Varnhem Abbey was sponsored by theHouse of Ericwhich in turn was granted burial privileges there. Three kings from the House of Eric lie buried in the abbey church:Canute I of Sweden,Eric X of SwedenandEric XI of Sweden.[2]
In 1234, the abbey wasruinedby fire. The catastrophe led to a period of blooming, sinceBirger jarland other mediaeval financiers rebuilt the abbey, this time more beautiful and imposing. The abbey church, which at first had been built inRomanesque style,was completed inGothic styleafter the fire. In 1260 there was an opening ceremony for the church, which was the largest in Sweden at the time.[3]
The abbey's property was confiscated in 1527 in accordance with theReduction of Gustav I of Sweden,and the abbey buildings were burned byDanishforces 1566 during theNorthern Seven Years' War.In the middle of the 17th century,Magnus Gabriel De la Gardiereceived the abbey as a gift from the Swedish queenChristina.[3]De la Gardie restored the church and established afamily mausoleumin it, while the remaining abbey buildings were left to decay. The church was thoroughly restored 1911–1923. Archeologicalexcavationsof the central part of the abbey were made 1921–1929, and again 1976 and 1977. In May 2002, the grave of Birger jarl was opened. The scientific analysis that followed, strengthened the belief that the three skeletons in the grave are the remains of Birger jarl, his son duke Eric Birgersson and Birger's wifeMechtild of Holstein.[3]
Today, only the abbey church remains standing, surrounded by ruins. The number of tourists visiting Varnhem has grown manyfold due toJan Guillou's books aboutArn.
Buried in Varnhem
[edit]
- Inge the Elder(oral tradition,[2][3]if so moved later toVreta Abbey)
- Canute I of Sweden[2]
- Eric X of Sweden[2]
- Eric XI of Sweden[2]
- Birger Jarl,his wife, Dowager QueenMatilda of Denmark,and his sonEric Birgersson[2]
- Björn Näf,knight, royal advisor, and teacher ofMagnus Ladulåsin the 13th century
- Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie,his wife PrincessMaria Euphrosyne,their son Gustaf Adolf and Gustaf Adolf's wife Elisabeth Oxenstierna[2]
See also
[edit]- Axevalla House(castle ruins nearby)
Literature
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^Varnhem - Klosterstaden: Historiska personerArchived2009-04-12 at theWayback Machine.(Swedish). Retrieved on October 8, 2008.
- ^abcdefgVarnhem - Klosterstaden: Klosterstaden/Kunglig gravkyrkaArchived2009-03-17 at theWayback Machine.(Swedish). Retrieved on October 8, 2008.
- ^abcd"Varnhems Klosterkyrka" - brochure from Varnhems församling. (2003)(Swedish).
- Cistercian monasteries in Sweden
- 12th-century establishments in Sweden
- Ruins in Sweden
- Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
- Buildings and structures in Västra Götaland County
- Tourist attractions in Västra Götaland County
- Churches in Västra Götaland County
- 1527 disestablishments
- Medieval history of Sweden
- Monasteries dissolved under the Swedish Reformation
- Burial sites of Swedish royal houses
- Burial sites of the House of Bjälbo
- Burial sites of the House of Eric
- Burial sites of the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken