Vilnius

54 ° 41'12 ″ N. 25 ° 17'27 " E.

The first mention of Vilna in written sources - 1323. Vilna (the name that existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in Lithuanian - Vilnius) was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until its liquidation together with the Commonwealth in 1795, therefore the complex of government buildings was repeatedly rebuilt, and medieval buildings came to be in a greatly changed form. From the castles of the XIII-XIV centuries. no buildings on the surface of the earth have survived. The so-called "Gediminas Tower" on the Upper Castle is associated with the name of the Great Lithuanian Duke Gediminas (1316-1341). It was built later, possibly on the basis of earlier fortifications, during the reign of the Grand Duke Vitovt in 1419-1422.

Several reconstructed fragments of 15th century fortifications also remained from the Upper Castle. The castle was badly damaged during the capture of the Russian garrison by the Russian troops in 1655 and the defense of the Russian garrison in it in 1655-1661, and since then has actually lost its military significance. At the foot of the mountain in the XIV-XV centuries. the Lower Castle was located, which is almost completely lost. The foundation of one of the 15th century towers. preserved in the bell tower of the cathedral, built in 1522. Thanks to archaeological excavations, we can imagine what the plan of the city walls looked like.

Tags: castles and fortresses, 14 century, 15 century, 16 century, Grand Duchy of Lithuania