Medieval castle · Harju County · Tallinn (Pirita)
Pirita Convent Marienthal
St. Bridget’s Convent was founded in 1407 by three Tallinn merchants, and from 1417 one of them, Hinrich Swalbart, led the building work. Consecrated in 1436, its church covered 1,360 square meters, making it the largest church in medieval Estonia, and its west gable rises to 35 meters. Built for 60 nuns, it was the largest convent in Old Livonia. Ivan IV’s troops sacked it in 1575 and burned it for good in 1577.
Built / first recorded 1417–1436
Style Late Gothic Bridgettine convent
Condition Burned in 1577
German name Marienthal Today
The church’s tall west gable and walls stand as conserved ruins, beside the old Pirita cemetery and a new Bridgettine convent.
Owners Birgitiinide ordu1407–1577 Good to know Its Latin name, Vallis Mariae, means “Mary’s Valley.” Inside, the church measured 24 by 56 meters, the largest in medieval Estonia. The first excavations, in 1934–1936, were led by Sten Karling and Armin Tuulse. Photos through time 1832 · Pirita Convent ruins1835 · Pirita Convent ruins1836 · Pirita Convent ruinsc. 1870 · The convent ruins from the river, with a ferry in front1925 · Pirita and the convent ruins1935 · Pirita Convent ruins1935 · Pirita Convent ruinsarchive · Pirita Convent ruins, postcard from the early 1900sarchive · Pirita Convent ruins, postcard from the early 1900sarchive · Pirita Convent ruins, an album pagearchive · Pirita Convent ruinsarchive · Pirita Convent ruinsNearby
The buildings are stylized impressions, not surveyed models. Facts: mois.ee, Museum of Estonian Architecture, ERR, Wikipedia. Photos: MuIS and Wikimedia Commons, credited with each photo.
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