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Gediminas' Tower ( lt, Gedimino pilies bokštas) is the remaining part of the Upper Castle in
Long ago, the Lithuanian Grand Duke
Visit the exposition of Gediminas tower
Photo history of the tower
{{coord, 54.6867, N, 25.2907, E, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1409 Towers completed in the 15th century Castles in Lithuania Landmarks in Vilnius National symbols of Lithuania Towers in Lithuania Brick Gothic Gothic architecture in Lithuania Tourist attractions in Vilnius Castles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Gediminas' Tower ( lt, Gedimino pilies bokštas) is the remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, Lithuania.
The first wooden fortifications were built by Gediminas
Gediminas ( la, Gedeminne, ; – December 1341) was the king or Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death. He is credited with founding this political entity and expanding its territory which later spanned the area ranging from t ...
, Grand Duke of Lithuania
The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Kingdom of Lithuania, Lithuania, which was established as an Absolute monarchy, absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three Duke, ducal D ...
. The first brick castle was completed in 1409 by Grand Duke Vytautas
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
. The three-floor tower was rebuilt in 1933 by Polish architect Jan Borowski. Some remnants of the old castle have been restored, guided by archaeological research.
The hilltop can be reached on foot or by lift
Lift or LIFT may refer to:
Physical devices
* Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods
** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop
** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobil ...
. The tower houses a museum exhibiting archaeological findings from the hill and the surrounding areas. This building is 3 stories tall and is made of decades old bricks. The museum has models of Vilnius castles from the 14th to the 17th centuries, armament, and iconographic material of the Old Vilnius.
Gediminas' Tower is an important state and historic symbol of the city of Vilnius and of Lithuania itself. It was depicted on the former national currency, the litas, and is mentioned in numerous Lithuanian patriotic poems and folk songs. The flag of Lithuania
The national flag of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos vėliava) consists of a horizontal tricolour of yellow, green, and red. It was adopted on 25 April 1918 during Lithuania's first period of independence (in the 20th century) from 1918 to 1940, wh ...
was re-hoisted atop the tower on October 7, 1988, during the independence movement that was finalized by the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania on March 11, 1990.
A reconstruction of the Royal Palace of Lithuania was completed in 2009, and is located near the base of the hill upon which Gediminas' Tower stands.
Legend
Long ago, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
Gediminas ( la, Gedeminne, ; – December 1341) was the king or Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death. He is credited with founding this political entity and expanding its territory which later spanned the area ranging from t ...
was hunting in the woods of Šventaragis Valley. The hunt was successful, and Duke Gediminas brought down a wild bull on a hilltop; but he grew weary in his limbs, and so the duke retired and spent the night there. Now Gediminas had a dream that, up on top of the same hill where he had been hunting that day, stood a great wolf made of iron, and it was howling as loudly as if it were a hundred wolves.
The Duke asked the court magician Lizdeika to explain his dream to him. He interpreted it thus: this was an omen indicating that he should build a city in this place, which would later become known around the world and would become the magnificent capital city of Lithuania.
Gediminas, obeying the will of the gods, began to build the future capital city, and a castle in the centre of it. The city was named Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
after the nearby river Vilnia. Gediminas' Tower is the only surviving part of that castle built by Gediminas.
See also
*Three Crosses
Three Crosses ( lt, Trys kryžiai, pl, Góra Trzykrzyska) is a prominent monument in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the Hill of Three Crosses, originally known as the Bald Hill ( lt, Plikasis kalnas), in Kalnai Park. According to a legend, which find ...
* Pilies Street
Pilies Street (literally, "Castle Street"; lt, Pilies gatvė) is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is a rather short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square.
Out of several l ...
* Cathedral Square, Vilnius
The Cathedral Square in Vilnius ( lt, Katedros aikštė) is the main square of the Vilnius Old Town, right in front of the neo-classical Vilnius Cathedral. It is a key location in city's public life, situated as it is at the crossing of the ci ...
* Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Lithuania is not the very centre of Gothic architecture, but it provides a number of examples, partly very different and some quite unique. Conditions
Lithuania, situated at the border of Greek and Roman Church had developed by the defence of i ...
* ''''
References
External links
Visit the exposition of Gediminas tower
Photo history of the tower
{{coord, 54.6867, N, 25.2907, E, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1409 Towers completed in the 15th century Castles in Lithuania Landmarks in Vilnius National symbols of Lithuania Towers in Lithuania Brick Gothic Gothic architecture in Lithuania Tourist attractions in Vilnius Castles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania