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Sigulda Region enncompasses several medieval monuments. Among them the ruins of the stone castles
in Sigulda, Krimulda and Turaida, as well as Sigulda Lutheran Church. All these castles have similar history -
their construction was started in the 13th century and the extensiveness of the castle buildings and
mightiness of fortifications were reached in the 15th-16th century when it was necessary to adjust the
castles to the use of firearms. Around the 17th century the castles gradually lost their significance and due to
various reasons turned into ruins. After recurrent rebuilding, more credibly, Sigulda Lutheran Church has
preserved at the same location.
Since ancient times the surroundings of Sigulda have attracted attention of artists by both the beauty of
nature and ancient monuments. These ancient about 200 years old drawings are specially important
because they are made in the period when the castles had better degree of preservation. The drawings
depict parts of the buildings which are not preserved till nowadays. The artists of the 18th-19th century
mostly drew the ruins of Sigulda and Turaida castles, because they were visually more impressive than the
Krimulda castle ruins which have preserved only at the level of foundations with some fragments of walls.
The greatest merit in documentation of the ancient local monuments should be attributed to the Baltic
researcher of the local history of the Czech origin – Johann Christoph Brotze (1742-1823). His most
significant work is „The collection of various monuments, prospectusses, coins, coats of arms etc.” in 10
volumes. The author with photographic precision has drawn and described Riga and other cities and
buildings in their surroundings, historical evidences of Latvian and Estonian peoples, the scenes of their
social life, clothes and various monuments of ancient times. Johann Christoph Brotze has recorded the most
important natural and historical monuments – witnesses, what they looked alike at the end of the 18th
century.