Lyse Abbey

[1] Lyse Abbey was founded in 1146 by Sigurd, Bishop of the Ancient Diocese of Bergen, on farmland that he owned, as the Christianisation of Norway was nearing completion.

Over time, this led to the abbey acquiring many other farms in the area, making it ever more rich and powerful.

The abbey was dissolved in 1536 when Christian III of Denmark decreed Lutheranism to be the state religion of Norway.

Over the next two centuries, the stones of the monastery structures were gradually removed and contributed to buildings such as the Rosenkrantz Tower in Bergen, and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør in Denmark.

The ruins are protected as a national monument and archaeological work to preserve and record the site continues.