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St. John's Priory, Kalmar, commonly known simply as Kalmar Nunnery, was a Roman Catholic convent for women of the Dominican Order in Kalmar in Sweden, in operation from 1299 until 1505.
The Abbey was founded by the rich landowner Margareta Gustafsdotter, who became its first abbess.
The members of the Abbey predominantly came from wealthy noble families who lived upon the income from their estates, and the life of the abbey was strictly reclusive, the nuns seldom coming in contact with the population of the city.
According to the legend of the chronicle Rimkrönikan , a member of the abbey had a vision foretelling that Charles VIII of Sweden would one day wear a crown. The infamous lady Brita Tott was reportedly imprisoned here for a period of time after having been sentenced for treason. [1]
In 1505, the ongoing conflict between the Swedes and Danes around the city of Kalmar created fears that the Abbey, being strategically placed, would one day be in fear of being used by the Danes in a fight over the town. The members therefore relocated to the Skänninge Abbey, transferring the assets and privileges of the St. John's Priory with them.
The buildings was used by the military, and eventually torn down in 1523-24.
An area of the city of Kalmar, Kvarnholmen, originally Systraholmen ('Islet of the Sisters') as well as a river, Systraströmmen ('River of the Sisters'), has been named after the abbey.
Gustav I, commonly known as Gustav Vasa, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (Riksföreståndare) from 1521, during the ongoing Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Gustav rose to lead the Swedish War of Liberation following the Stockholm Bloodbath, where his father was executed. Gustav's election as king on 6 June 1523 and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later marked Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union.
Margaret I was Queen regnant of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinavian kingdoms together for over a century. She had been queen consort of Norway from 1363 to 1380 and of Sweden from 1363 to 1364 by marriage to Haakon VI. Margaret was known as a wise, energetic and capable leader, who governed with "farsighted tact and caution," earning the nickname "Semiramis of the North". Also famous derisively as "King Breechless", one of several derogatory nicknames once thought to have been invented by her rival King Albert of Sweden, she was also known by her subjects as "Lady King", which became widely used in recognition of her capabilities. Knut Gjerset calls her "the first great ruling queen in European history."
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from 1470 to 1497 and again from 1501 to 1503. As the leader of the victorious Swedish separatist forces against the royal unionist forces during the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471, he weakened the Kalmar Union considerably and became the effective ruler of Sweden as Lord Regent for most of his remaining life.
Christina Nilsdotter Gyllenstierna of Fogelvik was a Swedish noblewoman. She was married to the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and led the Swedish resistance against Christian II of Denmark after the death of her spouse. In her own lifetime she was simply referred to as Fru Kristina, but she has become known in history as Kristina Gyllenstierna because of the house of nobility to which she belonged.
Kalmar is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 41,388 inhabitants in 2020 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 236,399 inhabitants (2015). Kalmar is the third largest urban area in the province and cultural region of Småland.
The Diocese of Linköping is a diocese within the Church of Sweden administering the Östergötland County, the north eastern part of Jönköping County and the northern part of Kalmar County. It comprises nine deaneries subdivided into 176 parishes with a total of 443,000 members. The diocese's largest parish is Motala. The Diocese of Linköping has a rank directly below the Archdiocese of Uppsala of the Church of Sweden. The current bishop is Marika Markovits.
Bridget of York was the seventh daughter of King Edward IV and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.
Erik Johansson Vasa was a Swedish noble and the Lord of Rydboholm Castle in Roslagen. His son would rule as King Gustav Vasa from 1523–1560.
Ulrika Eleonora Stålhammar, was a Swedish corporal and crossdresser who served in the Great Northern War. She was put on trial for having served in the military posing as a man and for marrying a woman. She has been the object of plays, literature, research and exhibitions.
Brita Zippel, also called Britta Sippel was an alleged Swedish witch, known as "Näslösan", one of the victims of the Katarina witch trials during the great witch hunt known as "Det Stora oväsendet" in Sweden between 1668-1676. Together with her sister Anna Zippel.
Tupholme Abbey was a Premonstratensian abbey close to the River Witham some 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east of the city of Lincoln, England and one of nine such abbeys within the historical county. The Witham valley in Lincolnshire is notable for its high concentration of monasteries—there were six on the east bank and three on the west—all presumably drawn to the area by the usefulness of the River Witham for transport and by the wealth that it transported. The abbey was largely destroyed by 1538, after being seized during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Ingeborg Åkesdotter Tott, in her lifetime called Ingeborg Åkesdotter or simply Fru Ingeborg, was a Swedish noble and the consort of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder. She was the fiefholder of Häme in Finland. She functioned as the de facto queen consort of Sweden for over three decades and participated in state affairs during the reign of her spouse.
Brita Olovsdotter Tott or Birgitte Olufsdatter Thott, was a Danish and Swedish noble, landowner and royal county administrator She was judged for treason and for the forgery of seals. She was one of the biggest landowners in Scandinavia, and her estates played a role in politics in Sweden and Denmark.
Anna Rheinholdsdotter Leuhusen, was the Abbess of St. Clare's Priory in Stockholm. She became known for her involvement in the Swedish War of Liberation between Sweden and Denmark in the 1520s.
Margareta Eriksdotter Vasa, also called Margareta Vasa and Margareta of Hoya, was a Swedish noblewoman, sister of King Gustav I of Sweden. Between 1525 and 1534, she commanded Vyborg Castle on several occasions during the absence of her spouse.
St. Clare's Priory, Stockholm, was a Roman Catholic nunnery of the Poor Clares in Stockholm, Sweden that was active from 1289 to the Swedish Reformation in 1527.
Forde Abbey is a privately owned former Cistercian monastery in Dorset, England, with a postal address in Chard, Somerset. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the 1,600-acre (650 ha) estate is farmed to provide additional revenue. Forde Abbey is a Grade I listed building.
St Mary Magdalene was a Benedictine priory in Lincoln, England. Along with Sandtoft Priory and Hanes Cell, it was a Lincolnshire cell of St Mary's Abbey in York, England. A surviving building, once owned by the priory, is Monks' Abbey, Lincoln.
Skänninge Abbey, also known as St. Ingrid's Priory, was a convent for Dominican nuns in Skänninge in Sweden which existed from 1272 until 1544. It was founded by Ingrid of Skänninge, and as such, it was often referred to as St. Ingrid's Priory. Located near the church dedicated to Martin of Tours, it was originally named St. Martin's Priory, though this name was rarely used. The common name for it was Skänninge Abbey, but as there was also a convent for Dominican friars in Skänninge, it was often called Skänninge Nunnery.
