Church or chapel · 1250
Kuusalu Church
Kuusalu's St Lawrence church is thought to be one of the oldest stone churches in northern Estonia, built in the late 13th century by Cistercian monks from Kolga, an outpost of Roma abbey on Gotland. Legend says it was built by a monk named Laurentius whom the pagans burned alive. A sacrificial stone with two hollows, the Raja or Lauritsa stone, recalls his death: two crossed bishop's crosiers and a grill are carved into it. The church was wrecked in the Livonian War in 1564, got its baroque tower in 1760, and by 1876 was so crowded that 1,440 worshippers were counted one Sunday in a church of 300 seats.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Kuusalu Laurentsiuse kirikut peetakse üheks Põhja-Eesti vanimaks kivikirikuks, mille ehitasid 13. sajandi lõpus Gotlandi Roma kloostri Kolga abikloostri tsistertslastest mungad. Legendi järgi ehitas kiriku munk Laurentsius, kelle paganad elusalt põletasid. Tema piinarikast surma meenutab kahe lohuga ohvrikivi – Raja- ehk Lauritsakivi –, millesse on raiutud kaks ristuvat piiskopisauda ja praadimisrest. Liivi sõjas 1564 kirik purustati, barokse torni sai see 1760. aastal ning 1876. aastal oli kirik nii täis, et ühel pühapäeval loendati 300 kohaga kirikus 1440 kirikulist.