Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Great Plague

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. Wild mushrooms and wild berries can be find on all markets in the Baltic states. www.petertirgus.lv/

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. The market wall was erected in 1910. www.petertirgus.lv/

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. The market wall was erected in 1910. www.petertirgus.lv/

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. Svētās Annas baznīca is the oldest church in Liepāja, as it was first mentioned in written records in 1508. It was a wooden church at that time, it got then altered and rebuilt several times. The last construction took place in the 19th century. The monumental wood-carved altarpiece from 1697 is a masterpiece of the Baroque period. It is about 9,50m wide and more than 10 m high.

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. Svētās Annas baznīca is the oldest church in Liepāja, as it was first mentioned in written records in 1508. It was a wooden church at that time, it got then altered and rebuilt several times. The last construction took place in the 19th century.

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. The Svētā Jāzepa Katedrālē (St. Joseph Cathedral) is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic diocese of Liepāja. The neo-Romanesque church was built between 1894 and 1900.

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. The Svētā Jāzepa Katedrālē (St. Joseph Cathedral) is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic diocese of Liepāja. The neo-Romanesque church was built between 1894 and 1900.

The settlement was first mentioned as "Lyva" in 1253. It was a small unfortified harbour town in the state of the Livonian Order. In the 14th century it was burnt down several times by the Lithuanians. As a result of the Reformation, two Lutheran parishes emerged in Libau. One congregation was formed by the Protestants of Latvian language, the other one for German speaking Protestants. The granting of the town charter took place in 1625. Soon after the construction of the harbour began. In 1698, a major fire destroyed most of the town's wooden buildings. The Great Plague of 1708 to 1714 claimed the lives of a third of the citizens. The Svētā Jāzepa Katedrālē (St. Joseph Cathedral) is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic diocese of Liepāja. The neo-Romanesque church was built between 1894 and 1900.

A settlement named "Comps" was known here since 909. Around 1050 the church and land of Comps were endowed to the Abbaye de la Chaise-Dieu by Raoul de Lugeac. The important Abbaye de la Chaise-Dieu, founded by Saint Robert de Turlande, had about 300 monks at that time. It was decided to found a nunnery here as a priory. The construction of the cloister and the convent buildings took place between 1052 and 1058, as the nuns moved in already in 1058. In 1487 the name was changed from Comps to Lavaudieu ("Valley of God"), so the nunnery became "Priory Saint-André Lavaudieu". After 1516 the matrons were ordered by the king and were no longer elected by the monastery community, so the strict rules of the order relaxed. In 1718 the former priory became an abbey and at the beginning of the Revolution 13 nuns lived here, all daughters of regional nobles. They were expelled and the abbey was sold. Most of the buildings were used for agriculture, large parts of the convent building were demolished. Meanwhile, the still existing buildings are carefully restored. When I visited Lavaudieu the first time, church and cloister were locked. This time I had more luck. The church was open, only the cloister was locked! The church has frescoes of which most were uncovered and restored between 1965 and 1980. Some of them are dated 1315 by an inscription. Seen here is very uncommon subject. The "Black Death" (aka the "Great Plague") walking in killing anybody, regardless rank or wealth, with an arrow. The Plague, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351, is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe's population.