- Address: Merivälja tee 18, 11911 Tallinn, Estonia;
- Phone: +372 605 5000;
- Website: piritaklooster.ee;
- Working hours: every day from 9:00 to 19:00.
The ruins of the monastery of Saint Brigitta in Tallinn can hardly be called ruins. The former temple seemed to have thrown off all the burden of many centuries, leaving the descendants only a ghostly silhouette of the sacred shrine, which was once the place of acquiring spiritual peace and appeasing the humble monks. And now there is a kind of special energy, permeated with spirituality and serenity.
The history of the monastery of Saint Brigitta
The idea of erecting a new monastery belonged to three prosperous merchants from Tallinn. Construction began in 1417 under the leadership of the architect Svalbergh, and ended only in 1436.
The monastery was erected under the auspices of the Order of Saint Brigitta. At that time, this society was at the peak of its popularity. The order belonged to more than 70 monasteries throughout Europe, from Spain to Finland.
Brigitte is a girl from the Swedish royal family, who had visions since childhood. She said that she saw how the Virgin Mary herself put on her head a golden crown, and Jesus Christ called his bride. Brigitte all her life zealously defended all the destitute and unfortunate, called for the cessation of wars and obtained from the Roman pontiff the approval of her Order.
The monastery of St. Brigitte in Tallinn, unfortunately, did not last two centuries. During the Livonian War, he fell under the blow of Russian troops of Ivan the Terrible. Only church walls, cellars and the monumental facade of the building were preserved. After this, nobody restored the building.
Near the monastery is another sacred monument, only much younger - a cemetery of the XIX century with limestone tombstones.
At the beginning of the 20th century, near the St. Brigitte monastery, a new building with an area of 2,283 m² (architects Tanel Tuhal and Ra Luza) was erected. It still belongs to the existing Order of Saint Brigitta and is divided into two parts. One of them is open to visitors, the other is a reclusive way of life for eight nuns.
Features of the Monastery of St. Brigitte
Initially, the monastery was built of wood, but in the beginning of the XV century it was replaced by a stone structure. The architecture of the building is a sample of the typical for that time style - late Gothic.
The monastery of St. Brigitte in Tallinn was the only such kind not only in the city, but also in the whole of Northern Estonia. Its total area was 1360 m², internal - 1344 m², the western portal rose by 35 meters.
All the monasteries of the Order of Saint Brigitta were built according to established rules, but the Tallinn project was somewhat different. The main throne of the church was placed in the eastern part in defiance of the traditions of the Brigitte Order. The reason for this was the peculiarities of the local landscape. If the building were built according to a standard design, the entrance to the temple would be from the side of the river, which is quite inconvenient and impractical.
There is one more important characteristic feature that distinguished the monastery of Saint Brigitta from the others. Here lived both monks and nuns. Despite such an unusual way for such church monasteries, the rules of delineation of the space within the walls of the monastery were strictly observed. Male and female premises were separated from each other by two large yards. On the north side lived nuns, in the southern part of the monks. They did not even meet during church services. Men came to the service to the church, and women gathered in special balconies at the top.
Many tourists who came here for the first time in their lives, do not leave the feeling that they have been here once before. And all because the ruins of the monastery of Saint Brigitta in Tallinn have been repeatedly captured in movies and music videos.
Information for tourists
- In April, May, September and October the location is open for tourists from 10:00 to 18:00;
- All summer long walks on the territory of the monastery are possible from 09:00 to 19:00;
- from November to March the entrance is limited: from 12:00 to 16:00;
- in August, the festival "Brigitta" is held here, where musical and dance groups perform;
- entrance to the territory of the monastery of St. Brigitta for adults costs € 2, for children € 1, family ticket - € 4;
- in the new monastery there is a small hotel where you can stay overnight.
How to get there?
From the center of Tallinn to the monastery of St. Brigitta you can reach by public transport - bus number 1A, 34A, 8 or 38. All of them stop at the underground terminal of the shopping center Viru. The destination is Pirita.