St. John’s Church is the second most notable architectural feature in Cesis (second only to the medieval castle) and one of the oldest medieval monuments in Latvia, as well as being one of the oldest cult buildings in the country. The church was built at the beginning of the 13th century as Christianity advanced into the Baltic, to serve the needs of the Livonian Order. Because Cesis was the residence of the Order, Cesis then became one of the most important centres in the Baltic States.
