Neitsitorn, Tallinn

The Virgin Tower is a tower on the southwest section of the Tallinn City Wall between the short foot gate and the Harju Gate to the north of today's commandant.

The tower was first mentioned in 1373. It is assumed that the tower was named after the tower chief Hinnse Meghe. Later, the name of the tower is distorted, which in turn has formed the Estonian translation of the Virgin Tower.

The tower initially had three floors and was open by the city, the tower height was 12.5 meters. The tower has a trapezoidal basic plan.

The tower was severely damaged during the Livonian War in 1577. Later the tower was rebuilt, the tower was used as a prison until 1626. From 1842 the tower was used as a residential building and until the 1960s the Virgin Tower was located in the studio of artists. Artists Kristjan and Paul Raud worked there, and after the Second World War, architect Karl Burman lived there for decades. Paul and Kristjan Raud have also a stone memorial plaque in the Garden of the Danish King of Denmark.

The first post -war reorganization began in 1953. Between 1956 and 1960-1961, the part of the city wall between the stables and the short foot gate tower was restored in two stages of construction as it existed in the 14th century. The tower built in 1968 and opened the café of the Virgin Tower in 1980. During the reconstruction, about half of the Virgin Tower was built as an almost new building, based on field research, old graphic images and drawings. One floor and a high roof were added to the tower, and an underground economic space was built. In a completely new construction, one wall was built as a glass wall. The city wall section between the Virgin Tower and the Tall Tower was restored and a new wooden protection was built. The café were opened in the restored virgin tower, which gained great popularity.