Church of Our Lady of Sorrow

The Church of Our Lady of Sorrow was built in 1785 and rebuilt in 1860 in the neo-Romanesque style. The walls of the church are plastered and painted in light blue-green and white, maintaining the colour range typical of classicism. In 1780, Emperor Joseph II of the Holy Roman Empire visited Riga. In view of the small size of the Catholic chapel he promised, in a conversation with Catherine II of Russia, to defend and support in every way the Catholic intention to build a new stone church in Riga. This permission was soon granted. In addition, the emperor and his mother, Maria Theresa, made donations for the construction of the church. Construction of the church began in 1784 and was completed in 1785.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Famous people or stories

Visitors information

  • Café within 500m

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Anonīms

Anglican Church

The Anglican Church of the Holy Saviour is the only Anglican church in Latvia, built from 1853 to 1859. The church was intended for the English living in Riga, who used to go to the Reformed Church. The church was built in the neo-gothic style of red bricks, most of which were brought from England together with other building materials (especially sandstone).

Wikimedia Commons/Smig

Church of St Mary Magdalene

The Church of St Mary Magdalene was first built as a wooden monastery chapel around 1260 during the reign of Archbishop Albert II of Riga (1253-1273). In 1591, large-scale renovations were carried out in the church building, the visual aspect changed: new windows were installed, new paintings were applied. Between 1621 and 1710, under the Swedish occupation, Catholicism was banned and the monastery and church were therefore destroyed. Between 1632 and 1639, the church was restored and transformed into a Swedish garrison Lutheran church. In 1710, during the siege of Riga, the building burned down and Tsar Peter I of Russia ordered the restoration of the church and handed it over to the Orthodox, renaming it St. Peter's Church. The church thus obtained its present form in 1746. The church was finally given back to Catholic worship in 1922.

St. James's Cathedral

St. James Cathedral is the catholic cathedral of Riga. Built in 1225, it is an important building for the cultural and historical environment of Riga. The interior of the Gothic church shows the influence of Cistercian architecture.