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17.
Vreta monestary (S)
Vreta kloster (i e Vreta monastery) is situated on the site
of the same name, 10 kms north-west of the city of Linköping,
which is some 220 kms south-west of Stockholm. The province
is Östergötland (Ostrogothia). The cloister was founded
ca. 1110 and was the first in what is today known as Sweden.
It is likely that this was initially organized according to
the Rule of St Benedict. Probably about 1162 the cloister was
re-established as belonging to the Cistercian Order. King Inge
the Elder and his wife Helena were the founders and for a couple
of hundred years the convent was populated by women from the
highest strata of society. Many royal and aristocratic ladies
lived as nuns in Vreta - a very wealthy convent - which was
Sweden´s most distinguished nunnery until in the late 14th centuray
Saint Birgitta´s convent was established 50 kms away and took
over that role. From Vreta three other cloisters were founded:
Askeby, Riseberga and Solberga.
After the Reformation the convent was dissolved in 1582, when
the two last nuns died. The convent buildings decayed and from
the middle of the 18th century nothing was left above ground.
In the years 1916 - 1926 an archaeological excavation brought
the buildings to light again - now in ruins - and they have
since been kept visible.
The abbey church however is still there almost intact and has
been used all the time since it was built in the first years
of the 12th century. It was built as a church for the king and
probably also for a bishop. About 1162 it was extended with
a choir in Cistercian style; the choir became the church for
the convent. After the Reformation the parish has used all the
church and now, after 900 years, Vreta still has a beautiful
medieval church with typical Cistercian touch.
Internet: www.vretaklosterforening.se |
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