St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral, Tallinn
| Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul | |
|---|---|
| The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul | |
Püha Peetruse ja Pauluse katedraalis | |
 Façade of the Cathedral | |
 | |
| Location | Tallinn |
| Country | Estonia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1841 |
| Consecrated | 26 December 1845 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral and Parish church |
| Architect(s) | Carlo Rossi (architect), Erich Jacoby, Franz de Vries |
| Architectural type | Basilica |
| Style | Neo-Classical and Neo-Gothic |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Estonia |
| Parish | Tallinn |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan |
| Rector | Alfonso Di Giovanni |
| Vicar(s) | Igor Gavrilchik, Ain Peetrus Leetma |
St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral, Tallinn is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Tallinn, Estonia.
History and architecture
Catholicism was introduced to Estonia by force via the Northern crusades and dominated religious life during the Middle Ages. However, following the Reformation during the 16th century, Lutheranism took its place as the dominant faith, and during the time of Swedish rule in Estonia, Catholicism was banned.[1]
Following Sweden's loss of Estonia to the Russian Empire during the Great Northern War, religious freedom was introduced by the new authorities. In 1799, the Catholic parish had grown large enough to be granted the former refectory of the long-since closed St. Catherine's monastery as a place of worship on the site of the present church. In 1841, designs were made for a proper new church building for the site, which had grown too small. The architect was the well-known St. Petersburg architect Carlo Rossi. He designed a neo-Gothic basilica, without an apse, with a neo-classical exterior. Between 1920 and 1924, the main, western façade received its present look, a work by architects Erich Jacoby and Franz de Vries somewhat deviating from Rossi's original façade. The interior of the church still reflects Rossi's design, however the wooden, neo-Gothic decoration has been removed. The cathedral incorporates several works of art, including works by local Baltic German artists Carl Friedrich Sigismund Walther, Robert Johann Salemann and a copy of a painting by Guido Reni. The cathedral has undergone a series of renovations, the latest in 2002–2003.[2][3][4]
References
- ^ "The History of Catholicism in Estonia". Roman Catholicism in Estonia. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Abiline, Toomas. St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral in Tallinn (PDF). The Apostolic Administration of Estonia. pp. 4–8. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ "The History of Catholicism in Estonia". Roman Catholicism in Estonia. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ "Roman-Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul". Tallinn Tourism. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
External links
Media related to Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Tallinn at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
