The only house of the Knights Hospitaller in Norway.
King Sverre founded it in the 1190s on the royal estate (kongsgård) of Værne in Rygge, south of Moss, with a hospital first meant for disabled men of his hird (snl.no). On 1 January 1200 it is a new foundation, a Sverre house standing in Borgarsysla among farmers who are about to rise against him. Its lands beyond the home estate are not listed in the sources checked.
Who he is
- Name
- the brethren of Værne; head not named
- Title
- house (kloster) of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
- Since
- the 1190s, by King Sverre's gift (snl.no)
- Confidence
- medium
snl.no Værne kloster; klostre i Norge
Overlord
The order's own master; founded by King Sverre.
What it holds
- The estate of Værne in Rygge with its hospital.
How it was acquired
Sverre's gift of a royal estate, 1190s (snl.no).
Allies and rivals
Sverre's foundation. The order answers to its master, not to the bishops.
How things stand that morning
A small, new house in the Viken war zone; its fate in the rising is not recorded.
Wealth
The home estate; other lands not listed.
Threats
- The farmers' rising and the Bagler, who have no love for Sverre's foundations.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: snl.no gives only 'the 1190s' for the foundation; no head is named.
On the map: A disc for one estate.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.