Estonian Cultural Heritage. Preservation and Conservation. 2005-2012. Tallinn Culture And Herit Arts
towns have developed around stone castles with the only exception of Valga. The medieval street pattern has been rather well preserved in most of the old towns. Thus, the networks of streets are the oldest and most completely preserved components of town planning in the heritage conservation areas.
The fortification from the Swedish era and renovation plans drafted in the 17th century did not change the medieval town plans much as the grid plans characteristic of the period were merged in Narva and Pärnu with the existing street patterns. The medieval street pattern of Tartu remained also unchanged.
Most of the building layers of urban environment formed during the previous five hundred years were destroyed during the Livonian War (1558–1583) and the Great Northern War (1700–1721).
During the following decades the destroyed towns were restored within their medieval boundaries. Despite the changes in buildings the street pattern of medieval downtowns was preserved during that period as an important structural element of old towns and the tradition of densely populated street fronts returned.
In 1783, the development of towns was given a new impetus by proclaiming them district towns of the Russian Empire. The following two centuries were of crucial importance to the development of the historical towns in Estonia – it was the period when the scope and appearance of the towns protected today was formed. Võru, founded in 1784, is the best example of the town planning of that period. The structure of its grid plan has been preserved to date. Next to the old town centres new districts featuring regular street networks were built in Viljandi, Rakvere and Kuressaare. The plan structure was dominated by long and narrow plots which are partly preserved only in Lihula and Rakvere.
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