Valjala - Martini kirik

The Northern Crusades brought Christianity to the island and construction of the church started following the Livonian Crusade, in 1227. The first church was a smaller chapel built near the site of the Valjala Stronghold. The chapel was later extended and still forms the nucleus of the current church. Remnants from this earliest period of the building include Romanesque fragments of murals. In 1240, the church was expanded and it got its present form of a single-nave church.


In 1343 the church was damaged during the St. George's Night Uprising. Restoration works and other additions to the church henceforth were more clearly Gothic in form. The church was now built to be able to function as a refuge in times of trouble, as well as a church. There are rooms above the vaults that are constructed so that they could only be reached using a ladder that could be pulled up.

The tower dates from the 17th century. Some remains of older, trapezoidal grave slabs are carved into the walls of the tower. The baroque spire was built in the 1770s, but was destroyed after a lightning strike in 1922 and replaced by a new one four years later.

The baptismal font is one of the most notable features of the church. It is one of the oldest pieces of carved stonework in Estonia. Scholars believe that it was made for Haapsalu Cathedral but somehow later found its way to Valjala. The font is decorated with expressive Romanesque sculptures. It is believed that the artist was a Westphalian master.

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