Taivassalo Church is the oldest of the three medieval stone churches in Finland that are dedicated to the Holy Cross. The construction of the church is believed to have begun between the years 1425 to 1440. In 1460s, the third aisle was built and the inner walls were decorated with new murals. It was the first time in Finland that frescos were painted to nearly all important surfaces of a church by a group of professional artists.
The medieval altarpiece as well as wooden sculptures of Taivassalo Church were donated to The National Museum of Finland in 1890. However, Taivassalo Church still has a magnificent triumph crucifix above the altar, in front of the chancel window. This crucifix is one of the oldest and best preserved crucifixes in Finland. The rococo front of the organ, which is unusual by Finnish standards, has remained intact ever since 1767 although the organ has been replaced several times.
As a whole, the church with its murals looks much the same as it would have looked at the end of the Middle Ages.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.