History
St. John’s church in Viljandi (German: Fellin) was originally part of a medieval Franciscan monastery, built between 1466-1472. The abbey was destroyed during the Livonian War in 1560. It was not until the 17th century that the church was raised from the ruins and was re-used. After the Second World War, in 1950 it was transformed into a warehouse. Renovation was carried out in 1992, after which the building began to serve as a concert hall.
Architecture
The church is a relatively simple, but spacious building, with a single nave on a rectangular plan and also a rectangular, but narrower chancel on the eastern side. On the west side there is a tower, partially embedded in the nave of the church.
