Põlva

Põlva (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈpɤlˑˈʋɑ]) is a town in southeastern Estonia, it's the capital of Põlva County and the centre of Põlva Parish.

Põlva is home for the Intsikurmu Song Festival Grounds, which regularly hosts concerts and summer activities, situated in a small forested area on the west side of the town.

History

The first mention of Põlva as a settlement dates from 1452, in the 13th century. The name originates from the Estonian word for knee (põlv), although its origin is not entirely clear. Legend has it that a girl was immured in a kneeling position in St. Mary's Church to keep the devil away. This is reputedly how the town was named.

Põlva was an old military crossroad between the north and south of Livonia. Around 1240, shortly after the Christianization of Estonia, the Bernardine monks built a church order, which they dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The village church was subordinate to the Bishopric of Dorpat. The same parish was the result of the Livonian War under Russian domination in the 16th century. In 1582 it became part of Dorpat Voivodeship under Polish sovereignty, and later it belonged to Sweden. In 1721, in the Treaty of Nystad, Estonia and Livonia were then ceded to Russia. Then Põlva and its church parish belonged first to Tartu County and from 1783 to newly established Võru County, part of the Governorate of Livonia.