Utstein Abbey

Utstein Abbey

Utstein Kloster
Utstein Abbey, 18th/19th century (anon painting; photo by Frode Inge Helland
Monastery information
Order	Augustinian Canons
Established	1200s
Disestablished	1537
Dedicated to	Saint Laurence
Controlled churches	Utstein Church
Architecture
Status	Closed
Functional Status	Museum
Designated date	1899
Site
Location	Klosterøy, Norway
Coordinates	59°06′11″N 5°35′26″E / 59.10306°N 5.59056°E / 59.10306; 5.59056Coordinates: 59°06′11″N 5°35′26″E / 59.10306°N 5.59056°E / 59.10306; 5.59056
Website	www.utstein-kloster.no

Utstein Abbey (Norwegian: Utstein Kloster) is Norway's best-preserved medieval monastery. It is located on the southern shore of the island of Klosterøy in Rennesøy municipality, Rogaland county. It was built in the late 1200s. Utstein Church is located on the grounds of the abbey.

The abbey, dedicated to Saint Laurence, was founded in its present location during the reign of King Magnus VI of Norway (1263–1280). It was a house of Augustinian Canons. It appears however that this community was the one previously established as St. Olav's Abbey, Stavanger, one of the earliest Augustinian monasteries in Norway if not the very earliest. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but it was well established by 1160.

At its height, up to 12 monks lived at Utstein, with twice as many lay people working on the building, doing the cooking, and doing the farming. The abbey owned extensive lands, and could feed about 250 people a year. It was dissolved in 1537 during the Reformation and was given in fee to , a nobleman who served as local bailiff. It served as a private residence for many years. The property came under the control of the Garmann (1706) and Schancke (1885) families. In 1899, the estate was acquired by the state and restored as a museum.

Utstein Abbey is the best-preserved monastery in all of Norway, still using both the church and the eastern and southern part of the ground floor of the convent buildings. In 1900-1904 major restoration work was carried out on the church, and in 1965 work on the remaining buildings was completed. The monastery was restored under plans designed by architect . The church's west window was reconstructed, the ceiling was rebuilt with the original angle, and all interiors were restored.