Texture corner

I captured a texture corner of the Manna la Roosa restaurant in the center of Tallinn. I used partial The Rule of Thirds as a composition guide. Little info: Foundation and Pharmacy

The history of the beautiful wooden house is colourful and stretches back two centuries. Already in 1791 lied here Russian Market, that held fairs and medieval entertainment took place. Vana-Viru street was the most important entrance to old town until Viru was built as a parallel to it.
In 1872 an adjoining fire-tower was built, as well as the wooden house where we locate today. The planning was done by brother of a well-known architect Hippius, who is the author of Kaarli church in Tallinn. House itself used to be a great spectacle and a rare sight with its scenic French villa-style and aristocratic planning and was built for social interaction with its clever niches, tea-corners and main hall. Seven years later, the house was purchased by pharmacist Oppermann, who transformed its first floor to a prominent pharmacy. In 1908 practiced here one of the loved Estonian writers of the period, Oskar Luts who wrote his most well known works here.

Manna la Roosa name and a mysterious lady

Name dates back to 18-century Sicily where “la Manna” surname still exists. The meaning derives from the Biblical story of heavenly manna. Actually “manna” in Southern-Italy carries the meaning of sugar, extracted from an ash tree and is a well renown natural medicine and food component until today. So, it is known that there was a lady with a background a bit shady, connected to our house. Her provenance has not been able to track down, but supposedly she was called Rosa la Manna. It could have been possibly her nickname as the healing manna-sugar was imported by her from Italy. Probably she sailed various pharmaceutical components and goods to the Czarist Russia and Baltics. Sadly there is no record if the cargo load carried in addition to spices and goods some fine wines or even some other recreational drugs... Who knows? Still the clues whisper that the mysterious dame from overseas controlled some considerable finances and enjoyed a powerful support here and there.

Pharmacy and Rosa

Rumours tell that Rosa la Manna also supplied this outstanding pharmacy here and even stayed in the premises regularly in those early years. It is told that in the roomy cellar of the house, an outstanding stock of fine alcohol and other contraband was kept well hidden from taxation. Upstairs of the house and in the back rooms, the glamorous festivities took place and lavish secret life was lived, comparable to the salons of great cities. Mostly of course, when our mystery lady was visiting Tallinn. Treasures were blown away at the card table, champagne was waterfalling down the throats of local elite and gents dashed in the boudoir of the grand dame. When the party winded down, ships were loaded with local goods and sails caught the wind to next port. What a lifestyle, already in those times!

"Manna La Roosa"
The house changed hands many times after that, was even rebuilt into social apartments and was empty and haunted until 2013. That year the villa was renovated and the most popular venue and restaurant in Tallinn opened up. Here You are, in a fascinating place, that honourably carries the name of a lady who lived big: “Manna la Roosa”.
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