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Askeby

Askeby Abbey Church is now a Lutheran parish church. Its oldest part was built during the first half of the 12th century by King Sverker the Elder. Some decades later a convent was added to the church. The first known donations addressed to Askeby Convent are from 1162. The buildings were erected close to a manor, strategically located near the ancient road leading from the Baltic coast to the central parts of the province of Östergötland. In the 1240s Askeby, like many other convents, was incorporated into the Cistercian order and became important to leading noble families. The buildings were damaged on several occasions, most severely in 1377 by fire. The abbey church, including a parish church, was reinaugurated in 1418. It had then been enlarged with a new brick chancel in late Gothic style. Bricks were also used for the reconstruction of the convent, inaugurated in 1444 accommodating about twenty nuns. All the buildings were annihilated after the Reformation except for the church, whose tower, however, was destroyed in 1609. Medieval treasures can still be found in the church, e.g. a triumph crucifix and a pietà. An altar embroidery, now in a museum, can be seen on our website. Years of research have resulted in visualized programs which re-create the abbey itself as well as its environment. These programs are shown in the church in connection with guided tours.