Varnhem Abbey (Swedish: Varnhems kloster) in Varnhem, Västergötland, Sweden was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland. The Cistercian Order used the same floor plan for all its abbeys, which makes it possible to easily locate the different rooms and halls regardless of the building site. History A wooden and a stone church were both erected on the site before the abbey was built. The stone church was erected in the 1040s at the latest, and is t…