Munkeliv Abbey

Birgitta Sigfusdatter: *Madonna with child* (Munkeliv, ca. 1450)

Munkeliv Abbey (

Bergen, Norway. It was one of the oldest monasteries in Norway, and also one of the wealthiest and best-documented. There are no visible remains today.^[1]^[2]^[3]

History

Munkeliv Abbey was founded as a Benedictine abbey by King

Saint Michael. The abbey was strategically positioned on the dominant height of Nordnes over the then newly established town of Bergen, with a view to encouraging the town's development. Its first centuries were successful and prosperous, but the arrival of the Black Death in the mid-14th century brought about a decline. In addition, the buildings suffered great damage in 1393 when the abbey was attacked by pirates known as the Victual Brothers (vitaliebrødrene). Thanks to its great wealth it managed to survive these catastrophes, but could not avoid a further decline.^[4]^[5]

In the 1420s it was taken over by the

Cistercian Order and reoccupied by the Bridgettines in 1480.^[6]

When the abbey was suppressed during the

Puddefjord was later cultivated by the Bergen pharmacist, Løveapoteket, for medicinal plants, until the surrounding areas were built up in the 19th century.^[7]

Site and buildings

The monastery remains today are beneath the open space known as "the Monastery" (Klosteret) at Nordnes, near numbers 2–6, and nothing is visible. Excavations of the site took place in 1857 and 1860, during which many extremely well crafted structural fragments were recovered. These artifacts are now in the Museum of Cultural History (Kulturhistorisk Museum), part of

Bergen Museum. These include the well-known marble head of King Eystein I discovered by Nicolay Nicolaysen, supposedly the oldest-known portrait of a Norwegian. At that time there were still remains of walls above ground up to a height of roughly 2.4 metres, but these were demolished after the excavations.^[8]

The church was approximately 32 metres in length and 11 metres wide, consisting of a single aisle the same width as the choir, which ended in an apse at the east end and also a crypt. A west tower was added in the 13th century. The conventual buildings were to the south of the church. Presumably under the Bridgettines, who carried out extensive building alterations, the cloisters were incorporated into the church.[9]

References

^ "Munkeliv". Bergen byleksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ "Munkeliv kloster". Bergenskartet. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ "Munkeliv kloster". Kulturminnesøk. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Per G. Norseng. "Øystein 1 Magnusson". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Erik Opsahl. "vitaliebrødrene". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Erik Opsahl. "Olav Nilsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ "Løveapoteket". Bergen byleksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Bergljot Solberg. "Nicolay Nicolaysen". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ "Munkeliv kloster". lokalhistoriewiki.no. Retrieved November 1, 2017.