In the 3rd post of my series on Castles and Forts from the Baltics, I am featuring the fabulous brick castle of Turaida near Sigulda, Latvia.

Each of the posts in the series will focus on a castle and/or fort in the Baltic region. This includes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Northwest Russia with a few more thrown in for good measure. I will also include other castles from around the world as my travels take me to some very interesting destinations. Take a look at my first post on the subject - https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/castles-are-cool-defending-trade-forts-and-castles-part-1

If you enjoy the splendor, history, romanticism and even the economic/historical importance of castles like I do, then you will want to follow along and share these with your friends. I will also take suggestions on others that need to be included in the series.

Turaida (Fredeland) - Medieval Christian Stronghold

Built: Early 13th Century by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword by order of the Bishop of Riga
Current Status: Partially Reconstructed/Ruin and Museum
Location: 1 hour by car Northeast of Riga, Latvia
Initial Purpose: Protection from Livonian Pagans in modern day Latvia and Estonia
Type: Gothic Brick Hilltop Fortress with Outer Wall and Inner Redoubt

History

The Turaida Castle is situated on a hilltop near a bend in the Gauja River. It's construction was ordered by the Bishop of Riga in 1214 in order to provide defense against local pagans (Livs) as Christianity was spreading to the Baltic region. The name Turaida is Livic for Garden of the Gods, but the original name given to the castle was the German Fredeland. It has some shared history with the Cesis castle I reviewed a couple weeks ago. https://steemit.com/history/@energyaddict22/castles-and-forts-series-2-cesis-wenden-latvia

The brick castle was built upon the ruins of a wooden fortress built by the Livs. However, the brick fortress would go on to change hands several times in it's first few hundred years of existence with the Livonian Order of the Sword maintaining possession the longest. Eventually, the castle became the possession of the King of Poland in whose hands it remained until the 17th Century.

The castle was the site of several military conflicts with the Swedes in the 18th century and ultimately succumbed to a siege. It would remain in Swedish hands until the defeat of the Swedes at the hands of Peter the Great of Russia. In 1776, a rifleman shot a swallow sitting on top of a straw roof in the castle. The shot led to a fire in which most of the castle was destroyed and then left abandoned for the better part of the next 2 centuries.

It was then excavated, studied and ultimately rebuilt during the 20th century and remains today as a museum that features not only the history of the castle itself, but also the Livs who inhabited that area before the spread Christianity in the region.

Fortifications and Location

The castle benefits from not only brick walls with stone foundations, but also from the surrounding terrain. It rests upon a hill with steep sleeps dropping from the base of the castle on 3 sides. From the walls and the even higher towers, one can see the entire region for dozens of miles on a clear day. Without opposing heights, it is difficult for the placement of siege engines, and artillery with which enemies might try to penetrate the walls. This left only 2 manners in which to take the castle: an attack from the 1 remaining side on level ground which was very heavily defended or a siege.

In the event of a breach of the outer walls, there are inner defenses including the main tower. The main tower entrance was made 9 meters above ground with a collapsing staircase making it extremely difficult to breach the final defenses. A great 360 degree view is available on Google maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Turaida+Castle

The interior of the castle also contained a granary, armory, stable and blacksmiths. However, in a prolonged siege the castle suffered from an inability to resupply or breakout as there was only one direction in which to try.

Interesting Fact (or story)

The Rose of Turaida is a romanticized legend based on a true story of a young lady named Maija Roze. She was the orphaned daughter of a soldier and his wife that died defending the fortress from the Swedes. A scribe found her crying amongst the dead after the siege, took her in, and raised her. She grew into a beautiful woman and caught the eye of many suitors. She chose a young craftsman named Viktor to be her husband and this created severe jealousy from one of his rivals. Ultimately, the rival corners Maija in a cave near the castle and she convinces him that the scarf that Viktor gave her will protect her from any harm because "love is stronger than death". She dares him to try and kill her in order to avoid his advances (rape) and of course his sword slays her. Much of the story is likely embellished, but Maija is buried near the castle at Turaida church under a sacred Linden tree with a headstone that reads, "love is stronger than death".

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