Dominican Monastery, Tallinn, Estonia

The Dominican monastery was founded in 1246 and it is the oldest one in the medieval old town. The center of monastery was St. Catherine's Church, which was completed in the late 1300s and was the largest church building in the lower town. The Monastery was expanded several times, most recently in the 16th century.

St. Catherine's convent closed down in 1525, when the monks were expelled from Tallinn during the Reformation. The looted and empty monastery church was destroyed by fire in 1531 - only ruins were left.

There were originally three inner chambers (together so-called claustrum) in the monastery allowed only for residents. The claustrum housed the most important rooms in the monastery: the prior’s room, the old library, the chapter hall, the dormitory, the sacristy, the cloister and the vestry. In the 14th and 15th centuries the leaders of the knight guilds of Harju and Virumaa often used the claustrum as their meeting and gathering place.

Only the eastern chamber has been preserved to our days. The dormitory, library, dining room and other rooms provide a fascinating opportunity to take a peek into the life of medieval monks. A mysterious "energy column" is located in the basement. According the legend it can be a source of physical and mental well-being.

References: VisitEstonia, ABC Matkatoimisto

User Reviews

J. Castillo (4 years ago)
Impresionante Claustro, del monasterio donde lo antiguo es bello y bien conservado y donde hay una persona que se encarga de ello, donde hacerse unas fotos y dejar una donación y no una obligación, merece la pena debes de Ir

Common Sense (4 years ago)
Vahva koht, tekitab tõelise ajaloos olemise tunde. Üks põnevamatest nurgatagustest Tallinna Vanalinnas.

Olchik Bogomolchik (5 years ago)
Обязательное место к посещению в Старом городе! Очень завораживающие и историческое место, особенно красивый монастырь в летний период, когда много зелени вокруг! Я родом из Таллинна, но частенько гуляю и заглядываю в этот монастырь!

Sou S (5 years ago)
Interesting place with tranquil feel. Run by the public museum organization or institute now, not by Church.

Elena Punty (5 years ago)
One of the most eerily beautiful and peaceful places in all of Tallinn. Small, but the courtyard is free. To get into the Monestary is cheap (a few euro?) and lots of beautiful stone work. A quiet and beautiful respite from the tourist crowds out in the streets.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Luiyo

Historic Site of the week

Lorca Castle

Castle of Lorca (Castillo de Lorca) is a fortress of medieval origin constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times.

Muslim Era

It has not been determined exactly when a castle or fortress was first built on the hill. The first written documentation referring to a castle at Lorca is of Muslim origin, which in the 9th century, indicates that the city of Lurqa was an important town in the area ruled by Theudimer (Tudmir). During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

After Reconquista

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

Alfonso X ordered the construction of the towers known as the Alfonsina and Espolón Towers, and strengthened and fixed the walls. Hardly a trace of the Muslim fortress remained due to this reconstruction. Muslim traces remain in the foundation stones and the wall known as the muro del Espaldón.

The Jewish Quarter was found within the alcazaba, the Moorish fortification, separated from the rest of the city by its walls. The physical separation had the purpose of protecting the Jewish people in the town from harm, but also had the result of keeping Christians and Jews separate, with the Christians inhabiting the lower part of town.

The remains of the Jewish Quarter extended over an area of 5,700 square m, and 12 homes and a synagogue have been found; the synagogue dates from the 14th century and is the only one found in the Murcia. The streets of the town had an irregular layout, adapted to the landscape, and is divided into four terraces. The synagogue was in the central location, and around it were the homes. The homes were of rectangular shape, with various compartmentalized rooms. The living quarters were elevated and a common feature was benches attached to the walls, kitchens, stand for earthenware jars, or cupboards.

Modern history

With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before. With the expulsion of the Jews by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, Lorca Castle was also depopulated as a result. The castle was abandoned completely, and was almost a complete ruin by the 18th century. In the 19th century, the castle was refurbished due to the War of Spanish Independence. The walls and structures were repaired or modified and its medieval look changed. A battery of cannons was installed, for example, during this time. In 1931 Lorca Castle was declared a National Historic Monument.

Currently, a parador (luxury hotel) has been built within the castle. As a result, archaeological discoveries have been found, including the Jewish Quarter.

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