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Dome Church

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Koentje3000
Koentje3000
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Dome Church

  • August 28, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Koentje3000 from Hamme, Belgium
Dome Church

Riga's Dome Church is one of the oldest and largest churches in the Baltic States. The church was commissioned in the 13th century by the founder of Riga, Bishop Albert of Livonia, leader of the crusading forces that tried forcibly to Christianize the pagan locals. During the 16th century, Riga adopted Lutheranism and the church became the town's protestant cathedral. A smaller Roman Catholic cathedral, St. Jacob's, was built just 100m north by the still considerable community. The two churches continue their function today. A third orthodox cathedral, the Nativity of Christ church, was built during the 19th century, when Latvia was part of the Russian empire.

The oldest part of the church is the choir. This place that contains the altarpiece is still an original, but often restored, part of the 13th century Romanesque building, that was much smaller then the current one. Heavily damaged during the Reformation and the subsequent Livonian war, the nave was reconstructed at the end of the 16th century by its current Gothic design. The beautiful convent, easily accessible from the main church entrance, with its long corridors around a central courtyard also dates from this period. The 90m high bell tower was the most recent addition to the church exterior and dates from the 18th century. Later additions to its interior were the superb pipe organ of Dutch making and reconstructions of some of the glass-stained windows.

The Dome Church is located centrally within the Vecriga (Old Riga) district right on the Doma Laukums (Dome Square), with its excellent restaurants and summer terraces, and only a stone's throw away from the main Town Hall Square. The Daugava river and the Akmens bridge, offering a view on the old town, are 100m westwards. Entrance to the cathedral and the next-door convent is free, except during one of the regular concertos, often using the historical church organ, when a fee of around 5€ is requested. See the Riga Dome's official site for more info on them.

From journal The Latvian Capital Shines as Never Before

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