Saint John's Church

The church of Saint John can trace its foundation back to 1234, when Bishop Nicholas transferred the ownership of the bishops castle and several plots of land to the monks of the Dominican Order, who established a monastery and a church, which they named after Saint John the Baptist.

The imposing West End stepped pediment was built during the reconstruction of the Church, in the early sixteenth century.

After the expulsion of the Dominicans in 1523, the building was used variously as a stable, furniture workshop and weapon arsenal. In 1582, it became a part of a Latvian parish.

The barred window marks the site where, in the 15th century two monks, who wished to become saints, were immured of their own free will, with only this aperture in the wall through which their food and drink were supplied. However, as they had been moved only by their selfish ambitions, the Pope refused to canonize them. Many years later the recess with their bodies was found. It was bricked up anew, so as not to disturb the remains of the deceased, and left as a memorial to these misguided monks.

High up on the south wall are these two stone masks with wide-open mouths. There are two schools of thought as to why these were placed where they are. The first is that it was through these masks that notice was given to those out-side that the preaching had begun. While the other story is that the heads were used for training preachers. The contention being that if a priest spoke through one of the mouths he would be heard all over Riga

The two early-seventeenth century statues situated in the semi-rounded niches of the East End are those of John the Baptist and Salome.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Tour
• Travel
• Events
• Riga
• Latvia
• City
• of
• Saint
• Johns
• Cathedral
• Church
• 13th
• Century
• 15th
• 16th
• 1234
• 1523
• 1582
• Dominican
• Monks
• Gothic
• Style
• Dominicans
• Bishop
• Nicholas