Category: Alvastra

I’ve written enough, for the moment anyway, about the beautiful ruins of Alvastra Abbey, but here are a few more photos….

That’s the formal chancel at the end, although I’m not sure whether this was a monastery solely for the monks or whether local parishioners were able to use it. At the crossing, so not far in front of where this photo was taken, were the graves of Kings Sverker I, Carl I, Sverker II and John I. The graves weren’t swept away after the Swedish reformation as they were found when the abbey was cleared by an archaeologist in 1827.

And the nave. If the Reformation hadn’t of taken place, or if this church would have continued in use, the link with the former Kings of Sweden that were buried here would have likely given it some considerable status.

I have no idea how so much of that roof has survived over the centuries….. Decent builders is all I can think.

These ponds at Alvastra Abbey are something of a glimpse into the resourceful and disciplined lifestyle of the twelfth century Cistercian monks that once lived here. Since their strict religious statutes mostly forbade the consumption of meat these monks became pioneers of river engineering to create complex systems of dams and canals to cultivate roach, perch and bream. The ponds today look at first sight like a river, but they are free-standing pools of water which were once supplied by Lake Vättern.

Once at the heart of Cistercian life at the monastery, there are now the ruins of its cloisters. Situated on the south side of the monastery church, the cloister once served as the central artery of the abbey, acting as a covered walkway that connected the monks’ daily activities, from prayer to study and manual labour. Though the wooden roofs and vaulted ceilings have long since vanished, some stonework has remained.

The construction of the cloisters at Alvastra reflected the austere and functional aesthetic of the Cistercian Order, prioritising light and simple lines over the ornate decorations found in other medieval traditions. I did stand here trying to imagine it when it was still in religious usage.

Beautiful, with the nave of the former monastery church visible in the background.

This is located within the cloisters and I’m not entirely sure how they know this, but the information sign reads:

“The Armariet represents a vital link to the intellectual and spiritual life of the Cistercian monks who once inhabited these ruins. In the early days of the monastery, this specific niche served as the secure heart of their literary world, housing the precious hand-copied texts required for daily prayer and study. The transition of the collection to a larger room beneath the dormitory highlights the growth of the abbey’s scholarship and the increasing importance of preserving these delicate manuscripts. It is a rare piece of historical fortune that several of these original documents survived the centuries and are preserved today, offering modern scholars a direct window into the specific religious texts and stories that shaped the thoughts of the Alvastra monks nearly a thousand years ago.”

This was a huge highlight of the trip for me, it’s the ruins of Alvastra Abbey. This was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1143 by French monks from Clairvaux at the request of King Sverker I of Sweden. As the first Cistercian foundation in the country, it served as a significant religious and political hub for centuries until it was dissolved during the Protestant Reformation.

A plan of the monastery.

There may now be a few posts about the ruins here, I found the entire site fascinating and intriguing.