Three Brothers

The Three Brothers (Trīs brāļi) are three adjoining dwelling houses at Mazā Pils iela 17, 19 and 21 in Riga's Old Town, Latvia, and together form the oldest surviving group of residential buildings in the city. Each house dates from a different century, which makes the row a compact record of how the urban house evolved in Riga. The oldest, number 17, is usually dated to the 15th century and is a simple Gothic building with a stepped gable, a narrow facade and a single living room on each floor, typical of early merchant dwellings, with a loft used to store goods. Number 19, in the middle, was built in the 17th century and shows Dutch Mannerist influence, with a more decorated front, a stone portal bearing the date 1646 and larger windows reflecting greater prosperity. Number 21, the white house on the corner, dates from the late 17th century and is the youngest of the group, and it has a more modest Baroque-influenced appearance. Together they show the shift from the medieval hall house to the later Renaissance and Mannerist styles brought by Dutch influence. The buildings were restored in the 1950s and 1960s, and since 1999 the group has been home to the State Inspection for Heritage Protection and the Latvian Museum of Architecture, which keeps exhibitions about architecture and building traditions in number 17 and the neighbouring house. The facades are visible from the street at all times, and the museum interior can be visited during its opening hours. The houses are also part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Riga and are among the most photographed buildings in the old quarter. Their position on a narrow street near Riga Castle and the Latvian Riflemen Square makes them easy to include in a walking route. Visitors interested in the history of vernacular architecture will find the contrast between the three styles a clear lesson in how Riga's merchant houses changed between the 15th and 17th centuries.