List of Christian monasteries in Norway


This is a list of Christian religious houses, both extant and dissolved, in Norway, for both men and women. All those before the Reformation were of course Catholic; the modern ones are a mixture of Catholic and Protestant communities.

Norwegian monasteries pre-Reformation

All Norway's medieval religious houses that were still extant were dissolved during the Reformation.
Religious houseLocationPresent-day countyDedicationOrderNotes
Bakke AbbeyTrondheim, Bakke gårdTrøndelagnuns of unknown order, possibly Benedictinec. 1150 - 1537
Franciscan friary, BergenBergenVestlandFranciscan friars1240s - 1537
Hospital of St. Anthony, BergenBergenVestlandSaint AnthonyOrder of St. Anthony1507–1528; the premises were previously Nonneseter Abbey, Bergen
St. John's Priory, Bergen BergenVestlandSaint John the BaptistAugustinian Canonsmid-12th cy - 1450
Dragsmark Abbey UddevallaBåhuslen Blessed Virgin MaryPremonstratensian Canons1230 x 1260 - 1532
Elgeseter Priory, formerly Helgeseter PrioryTrondheimTrøndelagAugustinian Canonsbefore 1183 - 1546
Gimsøy AbbeySkienTelemarkBenedictine nuns1st half of the 12th cy - c. 1540
Halsnøy AbbeyIsland of Halsnøya VestlandAugustinian Canons1163/64 - 1536
St. Olav's Priory, Hamar HamarInnlandetSaint OlavDominican friarsThe existence of this Dominican priory is known from a single reference in 1511
Holmen PrioryHolmen, BergenVestlandDominican friars1243 x 1247 - 1528
Hovedøya AbbeyIsland of Hovedøya OsloBlessed Virgin Mary and Saint Edmund the MartyrCistercian monks1147-1532
Kastelle PrioryKonghelle Båhuslen Augustinian Canons1161 x 1181 - 1529
Konghelle FriaryKonghelle Båhuslen Franciscan friars1263 x 1272 - 1532
Lyse AbbeyOsVestlandCistercian monks1146-1536
Marstrand FriaryMarstrandBåhuslen Franciscan friarsin existence by 1291; entirely demolished in 1532; exact location unknown
Munkeby AbbeyOkkenhaug, LevangerTrøndelagCistercian monksfounded before 1180; apparently relocated to Tautra Abbey c. 1200 x 1207
Munkeliv AbbeyNordnes, BergenVestlandSaint MichaelBenedictine monks to 1426, thereafter Bridgettine nunsc. 1110 - 1531
Nidarholm AbbeyMunkholmen island in TrondheimTrøndelagSaint Benedict and Saint LawrenceBenedictine monksc. 1100 - 1537
Nonneseter Abbey, BergenBergenVestlandBlessed Virgin MaryCistercian nuns, ejected in 1507; premises given to the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthonyc. 1150 - 1507
Nonneseter Abbey, OsloSchweigaardsgaten and Grønlandsleiret in OsloOsloBlessed Virgin MaryBenedictine nunsearly 12th cy - 1547
St. Olav's Priory, Oslo OsloOsloSaint OlavDominican friars1239 - before 1546
Franciscan Friary, OsloOsloOsloFranciscan friarsbefore 1291 - 1530s or 1540s
Rein AbbeyÅrnset, RissaTrøndelagSaint Andrewnoblewomen's collegiate foundationshortly after 1226 - 1532
Selje AbbeyIsland of Selja in SeljeVestlandSaint AlbanBenedictine monksc. 1100 - 1461 x 1474
St. Olav's Abbey, Stavanger StavangerRogalandSaint OlavAugustinian Canonsfounded before 1160; transferred to Utstein c. 1263 x 1280
Tautra Abbey or Tuterø AbbeyIsland of Tautra, FrostaTrøndelagCistercian monks1207 - 1532
St. Olav's Abbey, Tønsberg TønsbergVestfoldSaint OlavPremonstratensians2nd half of the 12th century - 1532
Franciscan Friary, TønsbergTønsbergVestfoldFranciscan friarsbefore 1236 - 1536
Bridgettine Priory, TrondheimTrondheimTrøndelagBridgettine nunsdates tbe
Dominican Priory, TrondheimTrondheimTrøndelagDominican friarsbefore 1234 - 1531
Franciscan Friary, TrondheimTrondheimTrøndelagFranciscan friarsbefore 1472 - 1532
Utstein AbbeyIsland of Mosterøy in RennesøyRogalandSaint LawrenceAugustinian Canonsfounded 1263 x 1280 to replace St. Olav's Abbey, Stavanger; dissolved 1537
Varna AbbeyVærne gård, RyggeØstfoldKnights Hospitallers2nd half of the 12th century - 1532

Norwegian monasteries post-Reformation

All of the following are less than thirty years old.