- Address: Cēsis, Cēsu pilsēta, LV-4101, Latvia;
- Length: 65 m;
- Width: 32 m;
- Height of the bell tower with a spire: 80 m;
- Year of construction: 1283 - 1287 years.
Not every Latvian city can boast such an epoch-making and majestic church, like the Church of St. John in Cesis. How did it happen that in this small provincial town with a population of just over 17,000 people built such an impressive sacramental structure?
History of the temple
Church of St. John began to erect in Cesis in 1281. The construction was completed in 3 years. The project was a three-nave structure with six pillars. The length of the temple was 65 meters, width - 32 meters, the height of the bell tower with the spire is 80 meters. Such a significant size was due to the purpose of the new church. It was Cēsis who was chosen to house the main cathedral of the Livonian Order. Therefore, the temple was built in the style characteristic of the influential knight brotherhood at that time - in architecture there are many massive elements, arches and ribs are made of rough profile bricks, and the decor is distinctly lapidary.
The Lutheran Church of St. John became only after 1621, before that the Livonian Catholic bishop was sitting here.
Like many churches of the Livonian Order, the church in Cesis suffered from devastating attacks from revolutionary-minded townspeople who were dissatisfied with the endless wars that the Order unleashed and high rebounds. More than once the cathedral was under the onslaught of enemy troops - it was besieged by the armies of the Swedes and Ivan the Terrible. Long restored the church of St. John and after a large urban fire in 1568. And in the XVIII century, the external walls of the building were fixed with the help of powerful buttresses, which were very weak for a long time.
In the XIX century the church acquired neogothic features. On its western tower was added another tier and a spire of a pyramidal shape.
In 1907, the first organ appeared in the Lutheran Church of St. John. In 1930, the old sacristy was replaced by a new one.
External and internal decoration
The exterior walls of the cathedral look rather modest. There are only 4 interesting elements:
- a plate with a message about the repair of the church in 1725 (on the central buttress);
- Maltese cross, which is the heraldic symbol of the Livonian Order (on the eastern buttress);
- the coat of arms of the tycoon Zadory from Poland (on the eastern wall);
- sunken clock (on the south wall).
There are many more artistic and architectural elements inside the church of St. John. The most outstanding of them are:
- tombstones of bishops and masters of the Livonian Order;
- window stained-glass windows of the end of XIX;
- altar with the triptych "Crucifixion", "Calvary" and "Christ at the Cross";
- sculpture of an angel from the tree of an unknown master;
- Two bas-reliefs on the inner portal, depicting mighty dragons;
- The Bible of 1768, written in Nuremberg, trimmed with scarlet skin and decorated with gold.
Near the church of St. John in Cesis there is a sculpture of a hunched monk called "The passage of time", which symbolizes the connection of generations. She appeared here in 2005. There is a sign: if you rub the lantern of a monk, he will illuminate your life with the light of happiness and grace.
Information for tourists
- the Church of St. John is open daily;
- Twice a week there are services: on Mondays from 10:00 to 12:00, on Thursdays from 16:00 to 18:00;
- entrance to the temple is free, you can leave donations;
- to climb the tower, you will need to pay € 0.5 (from above you can see a stunning view of the city and even see the Blue Mountain, which is 40 km from the church);
- in the days when international concerts and solemn events are held in the cathedral, the entrance for visitors is closed.
How to get there?
Cesis is located 90 km from the capital. From Riga you can get here:
- by bus (walk every hour from the bus station);
- by rail (three trains run every day in the direction of Cesis);
- by car (along the A2 highway).
The Church of St. John stands in the center of the city, on Skolas Street 8. Both the railway and the bus station are within walking distance. From there you can walk to the temple in a few minutes, the distance is about 600 meters.