Roland was a close confidant of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne and died at the Battle of Roncevaux in 778. He was immortalized in the Song of Roland, which I had to read when I was a senior in high school and I don't remember anything about it other than being bored to death reading a long poem about a war and history I knew nothing about.
So, I'm not sure that I understand why there's a statue of him in the Town Square of Riga, Latvia, which is a long way from France and Roncevaux (Roncesvalles,) which is now in Spain. But, it has something to do with the Hanseatic League, the powerful medieval mutual trade and defense organization that dominated the Baltic area from the 15th to 19th Centuries. Roland, it seems, was seen as a protector of trade.
Riga was a member of the Hanseatic League, as was Bremen, Germany. We've also seen a statue of Roland in the main square of Bremen. That statue and its surroundings is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The Riga statue, by the way, is a reproduction of the original that was destroyed in World War II.
You can help yourself get ready for your own travels by reading our Get Started Planning Your Trip Now page.
We love traveling–with the right gear. We've gathered a lot of the stuff we use to make travel more pleasant and efficient all on one page. Shop our Travel Past 50 Amazon page to find our favorite gear. If you purchase something from the store, Travel Past 50, as an Amazon affiliate, may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thanks.
Note: This post and other posts on TravelPast50.com may contain paid or affiliate advertising links.
Riga! What a gorgeous city, and I think the Town Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings. Great shot!
Thanks, Corinne. We loved Riga too. The Art Nouveau architecture is amazing. It seemed like every building was trying to outdo the next.
Les statues de Roland étaient un symbole des villes de cette région et symbolisaient une ville de privilèges marchands en outre Roland était proche de charlemagne mais surtout son neveu .. il est effectivement mort sur une bataille en territoire espagnol. Charlemagne était l’empereur de ce qui est aujourd’hui l’allemagne et à sa mort son héritage a été disputé et s’identifier à charlemagne était important .. ainsi ériger dès statut de son très proche neveu y participait.