Tautra
Encyclopedia
Tautra is an island
in the municipality
of Frosta
in Nord-Trøndelag
county, Norway
. It is located in the Trondheimsfjord
, just north of the city of Trondheim
. The island is connected to the rest of Frosta by a 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) long causeway
bridge.
The island is located almost in the middle of the Trondheimsfjord
, in the heartland of the Vikings. The remains of the medieval Tuterø Abbey
, a Cistercian monastery, that was established in 1207 and dissolved in the Protestant Reformation
. The monastery was placed strategically, very close to the Frostating
—the central law-making institution in this region of Norway. In that context, the cistercienser monk
s of Tautra monastery became a part of the nation-building in Norway. In 2003, Queen Sonja
laid the cornerstone
of Tautra Abbey
, a new Cistercian nunnery on the island.
A large part of the island and its surrounding water is designated as protected under the Ramsar Convention
due to the rich bird life in the area. Now, there are organized professional guided tours for bird watching as well as about the nature and history on Tautra.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Frosta
Frosta
Frosta is the smallest municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Frosta. The municipality is located in the middle of the Trondheimsfjord, on a peninsula just north of Trondheim...
in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
, just north of the city of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. The island is connected to the rest of Frosta by a 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) long causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
bridge.
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
, in the heartland of the Vikings. The remains of the medieval Tuterø Abbey
Tautra Abbey
Tautra Abbey was a monastery of Cistercian monks founded in the 13th century on the island of Tautra in the Trondheimsfjord. That abbey flourished and lasted until the 16th, when it was closed as part of Norway's acceptance of the Protestant Reformation. At the end of the 20th century, a community...
, a Cistercian monastery, that was established in 1207 and dissolved in the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. The monastery was placed strategically, very close to the Frostating
Frostating
Frostating was the site of an early Norwegian court. Frostating had its seat at Tinghaugen in Frosta municipality in the county of Nord-Trøndelag.-Tinghaugen:...
—the central law-making institution in this region of Norway. In that context, the cistercienser monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of Tautra monastery became a part of the nation-building in Norway. In 2003, Queen Sonja
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
laid the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of Tautra Abbey
Tautra Abbey
Tautra Abbey was a monastery of Cistercian monks founded in the 13th century on the island of Tautra in the Trondheimsfjord. That abbey flourished and lasted until the 16th, when it was closed as part of Norway's acceptance of the Protestant Reformation. At the end of the 20th century, a community...
, a new Cistercian nunnery on the island.
A large part of the island and its surrounding water is designated as protected under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
due to the rich bird life in the area. Now, there are organized professional guided tours for bird watching as well as about the nature and history on Tautra.