Gimsøy Abbey

Gimsøy Abbey was a Benedictine nunnery located on the island of Gimsøy in Skien, Telemark, Norway.

It was founded by Dag Eilivsson, probably in the second quarter of the 12th century, and his daughter Baugeid was the first abbess. The abbey was well positioned on the navigable river on the way to Skien, and was comfortably endowed with estates.

By about 1500, however, the premises had been mortgaged, although the nuns continued to live there, and were permitted to stay in residence after the dissolution of the nunnery during the Reformation. The buildings burnt to the ground in 1546, and the site was cleared, leaving no visible traces.

Sources

• Norges klostre i middelalderen: Gimsøy kloster (Norwegian)