Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Martinskirche

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. A graffiti carved into the outer wall (in 1854?)

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. The baptismal font is one of the most notable features of the church. It is one of the oldest pieces of carved stonework in Estonia. Scholars believe that it was made for Haapsalu Cathedral but somehow later found its way to Valjala. The font is decorated with expressive Romanesque sculptures. It is believed that the artist was a Westphalian master. Here are details

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. The baptismal font is one of the most notable features of the church. It is one of the oldest pieces of carved stonework in Estonia. Scholars believe that it was made for Haapsalu Cathedral but somehow later found its way to Valjala. The font is decorated with expressive Romanesque sculptures. It is believed that the artist was a Westphalian master. Here are details

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. The baptismal font is one of the most notable features of the church. It is one of the oldest pieces of carved stonework in Estonia. Scholars believe that it was made for Haapsalu Cathedral but somehow later found its way to Valjala. The font is decorated with expressive Romanesque sculptures. It is believed that the artist was a Westphalian master.

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. The wall paintings from the 13th century are almost lost

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later. The polygonal choir end in late Gothic forms in the background was added in the 14th century.

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later.

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later.

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later.

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church. In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up. The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later.

A church, dedicated Saint Martin of Tours, is known here since around 800. The church and a large part of the town was given to the bishop in 928 by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, (aka "Otto the Great"). Since 1220 it served the parish. The church got severely damaged in 1464 by the town fire, that destroyed most of Chur. The rebuilding - in a late-Gothic style - was completed in 1535, when a little flat for a watchman got installed into the tower. With the Swiss Reformation, triggered in Chur by Johannes Comander, a friend of Ulrich Zwingli, things changed. The Catholics were confined to a ghetto enclosed around the bishop's court beside the nearby cathedral. In 1529 the old altar was removed, the church treasury got sold and the remaining silver was melted in. Since then St. Martin serves the Reformed parish. The interior is very sober. In 1918 the organ was moved from the western gallery into the choir.

A church, dedicated Saint Martin of Tours, is known here since around 800. The church and a large part of the town was given to the bishop in 928 by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, (aka "Otto the Great"). Since 1220 it served the parish. The church got severely damaged in 1464 by the town fire, that destroyed most of Chur. The rebuilding - in a late-Gothic style - was completed in 1535, when a little flat for a watchman got installed into the tower. With the Swiss Reformation, triggered in Chur by Johannes Comander, a friend of Ulrich Zwingli, things changed. The Catholics were confined to a ghetto enclosed around the bishop's court beside the nearby cathedral. In 1529 the old altar was removed, the church treasury got sold and the remaining silver was melted down. Originally the tower seen here had a smaller "helmet". The spire seen here was added in 1917. Today the tower is 82 metres high!