Munkaþverá (; also transliterated as ''Munkathvera'') was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

Eyjafjörður Eyjafjörður (, ''Island Fjord'') is one of the longest fjords in Iceland. It is located in the central north of the country. Situated by the fjord is the country's fourth most populous municipality, Akureyri. Physical geography The fjord is ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. It was established around 1155 and was abolished when the country became Protestant in 1550. The monastery is best known about its early Abbot Níkulás Bergsson and his famous publication ''

Leiðarvísir og borgarskipan ''Leiðarvísir og borgarskipan'' ("A Guide and List of Cities") is an itinerary written by Níkulás Bergsson (a.k.a. Nikolaos), the abbot of the monastery of Þverá in Eyjafjörður, Northern Iceland. It is a guidebook for pilgrims about the ...

'', which was basically a guidebook for pilgrims about the routes from Northern Europe to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. The monastery once was the home of such heroes of saga literature as Einar Þveræingur, '' Víga-Glúms'' and Bergur Sokkason. It is believed to be the burial place of

Sighvatur Sturluson Sighvatr Sturluson (Old Norse: ; given name also ''Sigvatr'' ; Modern Icelandic: ''Sighvatur Sturluson'' ; c. 1170 – 1238) was a skaldic poet, ''goði'' and member of the Icelandic Sturlungar clan. His parents were Sturla Þórðarson of H ...

and his sons who died in the

Battle of Örlygsstaðir The Battle of Örlygsstaðir was a historic battle fought by the Sturlungar against the Ásbirningar and the Haukdælir clans in northern Iceland. The battle was part of the civil war that was taking place in Iceland at the time between various ...

. The current church in Munkaþverá was built in 1844. In front of the church, there is a memorial dedicated to

Jón Arason Jón Arason (1484 – November 7, 1550) was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the imposition of the Protestant Reformation in Iceland. Background Jón Arason was born in Gryta, educated at Mu ...

, who attended the monastery and did his studies there.

External links

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Munkaþverá church
Benedictine monasteries in Iceland Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 1155 establishments in Europe 1550 disestablishments in Europe Churches completed in 1844 12th-century establishments in Iceland Monasteries dissolved under the Icelandic Reformation {{Iceland-church-stub