Halsnøy Abbey

The monastery is believed to have been founded in 1163 or 1164 by jarl Erling Skakke (1115–1179) as an inducement to Archbishop Øystein to crown Erling's seven-year-old son, Magnus Erlingsson, who reigned as King of Norway from 1161 to 1184.

The buildings were severely damaged in a fire about a hundred years later, and were rebuilt in Gothic style about 1300.

For over 200 years it was administered as state property, but in 1758 the estate was bought by the chamberlain Andreas Juel, in whose family it remained until 1956.

Lt. Andreas Juel, a descendant of the purchaser, demolished the remaining monastic buildings in about 1840 and built a new house from the stone in 1841.

[4] Archaeological studies were conducted on site by architect Gerhard Fischer during 1938-1939 and by Hans-Emil Lidén between 1961-1963.