PÕLTSAMAA ORDER CASTLE,
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05.11.2007

The castle was established by the Livonian Order in 1272. Initially it was a square castellum surrounded by a moat. A defensive passage ran along the inner side of the wall. The three-metre high wall was built of limestone, rubble and bricks. Gates faced north, south and east. The northern gate was safeguarded by a fortification that reached the moat.

The wall was elevated at the end of the 13th century. The passage was renewed as well, with pillars replacing cantilever beams. The walls of that time can be distinguished from the earlier ones by rows of rubble levelled with limestone. In the 14th century a brick balustrade with embrasures was added to the wall. The south-east corner of the castle got a convent building. In the 15th century the wall was further elevated until it reached its present height (11 m). Small rectangular towers stood in the castellum's three corners. Circular wall made up their external side whereas the inner side was made of wood.

The square convent building that formed about one third of the wall length of the castellum had an inner courtyard and a watchtower in the south-western corner. The convent wings were united with an interior gallery, and the second floor of the tower was used as living quarters of the castle's warden. The gate was located in the western wall that was also the convent's main facade. The second floor of the wing buildings housed the garrison's living quarters.

In the early 16th century a bastion and a cannon tower were built in front of the southern gate. The bastion crossed the moat and the tower's connection with the gate was protected by side walls. To protect the northern gate, another tower, now destroyed, was erected. Its upper floor had a platform for a cannon.

During the Livonian War the Põltsamaa castle was a residence of duke Magnus who had been proclaimed King of Livonia by Ivan IV. The old convent building had to be adjusted as well, to offer rooms for living and official receptions. The castle changed hands several times in the course of the war, and it was only in the early 17th century when the new owner, field marshal H. Wrangel, began reconstructing the castle. The third floor was completed, and a fourth added. Doors and windows became larger, the function of the rooms changed. Besides fireplaces, tiled stoves were used as well. The castle's forecourt was turned into a household yard, the southern cannon tower and the intermediate yard connecting it with the main castle was rebuilt as a church. Most of what was erected at that time was unfortunately destroyed during the Northern War when the castle was pillaged in 1703 and 1707. At the end of the century the restored castle acquired the most beautiful rococo interior in Estonia that was destroyed during the Second World War. In 1772-1786 and in 1792-1796 the castle accommodated a porcelain factory (the third in the entire tsarist Russia!).

Põltsamaa ordulinnus rajati Liivimaa Ordu poolt 1272. a. ja kujutas endast algul ruudukujulist vallikraaviga piiratud kastelli. Müüri siseküljel kulges kaitsekäik. Müür oli 3 m kõrgune ning ehitatud paest, maakividest ja tellistest. Väravad asusid põhjas, lõunas ja idas. Põhjaväravat turvas vallikraavini ulatuv eeskaitse.

Müüri kõrgendati juba 13. saj. lõpul. Samuti uuendati siis kaitsekäik, mis toetati ulgtalade asemel piilaritele. Selleaegne müüritis on varasemast hõlpsasti eristatav. 14. saj. lisati müürile laskeavadega tellisrinnatis. Linnuse kagunurka ehitati konvendihoone. 15. saj. kõrgendati müüri veelgi, nii et see saavutas oma praeguse kõrguse (11 m). Kastelli kolmes nurgas asusid väikesed nelinurksed tornid, mille väliskülje moodustas ringmüür, õuepoolne külg oli aga puidust.

Ruudukujuline, kastelli müüripikkusest umbes kolmandiku moodustav konvendihoone oli sisehoovi ning edelanurgas kõrguva valvetorniga ehitis. Konvendihoone tiibu ühendas seestpoolt galerii, torni II korrus oli aga kasutusel linnuse komandandi elupaigana. Värav asus lääneseinas, mis kujutas endast ühtlasi ka konvendihoone peafassaadi. Tiibehitiste II korrusel asusid garnisoni eluruumid.

16. saj. algul ehitati lõunapoolse värava ette vallikraavi läbiv bastion ning suurtükitorn, mille ühendust väravaga kaitsesid külgmüürid. Ka põhjapoolse värava kaitseks püstitati praeguseks hävinud torn, mille ülakorrusel oli suurtükiplatvorm.

Liivi sõja ajal oli Põltsamaa linnus Ivan IV poolt Liivimaa kuningaks kuulutatud hertsog Magnuse residentsiks. Vastavalt kohandati elu- ja esindusruumideks ümber ka vana konvendihoone. Sõja käigus käis linnus siiski korduvalt käest kätte ja alles 17. saj. algul alustas uus omanik feldmarssal H. Wrangel linnuse uut rekonstrueerimist. Lossis ehitati täiskorrusena välja III korrus ning lisati veel neljaski korrus. Ukse- ja aknaavad murti suuremaks, muudeti ruumide senist lahendust. Küttekehadena võeti kaminate kõrval käsutusele kahhelahjud. Linnuse eeshoov muudeti majandushooviks, lõunapoolne suurtükitorn ja seda pealinnusega ühendav vahehoov ehitati ümber kirikuks. Paraku hävis tookord ehitatu suuresti Põhjasõja käigus, mil loss rüüstati. Sajandi lõpupoolel sai taastatud loss Eesti kauneima rokokoo-stiilis sisekujunduse, mis hävis II maailmasõja ajal. Põltsamaa linnuses asus aastail 1772-1786 ja 1792-1796 portselanivabrik (muide, kolmas Vene tsaaririigis!).