Doma Square in Old Riga appeared in the city relatively recently – in the 1860s-80s. Naturally, it was named after the Dome Cathedral, whose construction began back in the 13th century.
The square was created with a single purpose – to provide better access to the church and make it more visible. To achieve this, several clusters of old houses had to be demolished, but the residents of Riga gained a rather large and beautiful square, whose size today exceeds 9 thousand sq.m – an indecently large amount for compact Old Riga.
The architectural ensemble of Doma Square is mainly formed by the Riga Stock Exchange and the Latvian Radio building. Both appeared at the beginning of the 19th century and are exemplary examples of classicism with elements of baroque. Many of the local structures had to be restored after an aerial bomb hit the very center of the square in 1944.
Thanks to its size, Doma Square is often used for various festive events. There is enough space to set up a large stage or hold some kind of themed festival.
There is also a marked point on the square from which three golden weathercocks crowning the tops of old Riga churches can be seen at the same time.
