Estonia’s oldest church yields medieval craftsmanship and repair needs
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Researchers working at Valjala Church on the Estonian island of Saaremaa discovered an 800-year-old baptismal basin made from local stone, a piece unlike any other found in Estonia.
Professor Kersti Markus of Tallinn University leads the research project, which received €160,000 in funding this summer. The basin demonstrates the skill of medieval craftspeople and confirms the high quality of stone available in the Valjala area during the 13th century.
The team also investigated the possibility of an earlier wooden church beneath the current stone structure, but they did not locate it. Later burials disturbed the soil, obscuring any evidence of the original building, though researchers believe it stood near the church’s triumphal arch. Despite the lack of the wooden church, the investigation clarified the necessary repairs to stabilize Valjala Church. Currently, cracks in the ceiling and deteriorating gable slabs threaten the church’s structure.
Restorers, including Ando Siim, must secure support beams and repair the roof and vault to prevent collapse. The discoveries also suggest that wealthy local nobles commissioned the church, connecting it to the nearby Valjala stronghold which flourished in the early 13th century.
