Dome Cathedral is a historical monument and has become a symbol of the Old Town of Riga. It’s the largest place of worship in the Baltics. It measures 187 x 43m, with walls two metres thick. One of the highlights of the cathedral is the famous organ that was made in 1884 by a German company "E.F. Walker & Co". At that time it was the biggest organ in the world. The organ has 6 718 pipes and is with wooden carvings from 17-18th centuries, which was such a marvel in its day that Franz Lizst composed a piece of music in its honor. The Cathedral was founded on St Jacob's Day in 1211 by Latvia's Teutonic conquerors under the bishop Albert von Buxhoeveden, who became its first bishop.
The Dome Cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, resulting in its different architectural styles. The oldest part of the cathedral is the altar build in the manner of Romanesque. Gothic style has left its traces in the architecture of Basilica; baroque is the style of the 18th century spire. Western entrance was built in the second part of the 19th century, and has the features of pseudo-gothic style. The first construction period was finished by 1270. After the last reconstruction that took place in 1776, the tower was raised to the height of 90 meters. |
