Roma Abbey

Roma Abbey is a historic site located in Roma on the Swedish island of Gotland, originally established as a Cistercian monastery in 1164. Founded by monks from Nydala Abbey in mainland Sweden, the complex was known in Latin as Sancta Maria de Gutnalia. The abbey was strategically situated on land that had previously served as the central assembly point, or Thing, for all of Gotland, possibly dating back to the Viking Age. Unlike many contemporary monasteries founded on aristocratic donations, Roma was built on common property due to the unique social structure of the island. During the Middle Ages, it grew into a powerful institution, acquiring extensive landholdings across Gotland and in the Baltic states, particularly on Saaremaa and in mainland Estonia.

Following the Reformation, the Danish Crown confiscated the abbey's lands around 1531 while Gotland was under Danish rule. The monastery was disbanded, and the buildings were largely left to decay, eventually serving as the seat for the Danish governor. After the Peace of Brömsebro in 1645 transferred ownership to Sweden, the estate remained a crown property with little immediate change to its function. In the early 18th century, the Swedish Crown commissioned a new manor house, Roma kungsgård, which was completed in 1733. Today, the site consists of the atmospheric ruins of the medieval abbey church alongside the well-preserved manor house and its distinctive cultural landscape featuring avenues and large fields, a combination unique to the region.