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Medininkai Castle ( lt, Medininkų pilis), a
medieval castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in
Vilnius district 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 Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, was built in the first half of the 14th century. The defensive perimeter of the castle was 6.5 ha; it is the largest enclosure type castle in Lithuania. It was built on plain ground and was designed for
flank Flank may refer to: * Flank (anatomy), part of the abdomen ** Flank steak, a cut of beef ** Part of the external anatomy of a horse * Flank speed, a nautical term * Flank opening, a chess opening * A term in Australian rules football * The si ...
defence. The rectangular castle's yard covered approximately 1.8 hectares and was protected by walls 15 metres high and 2 metres thick. The castle had 4 gates and towers. The main tower (
donjon A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
), about 30 metres high, was used for residential quarters.
Medininkai Medininkai (; be, Меднікі) is a village in Lithuania, located east of Vilnius city municipality and from the Lithuanian–Belarusian border. The village is situated on the Medininkai Highland, near the highest points of Lithuania †...
was first mentioned in 1392. The castle was badly damaged by a major fire in the late 15th century. Because of increased use of
firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
, this type of castle was no longer suited for defensive purposes and was later used as a residence. During the 17th–18th centuries it was reorganized into a farm and a
bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who ...
. After the castle's restoration, its museum currently exhibits large collection of items made from silver by artisans of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
, and collection of hunting trophies and hunting knives of President
Algirdas Brazauskas Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas (, 1932 – 2010) was the first President (fourth overall) of a newly re-independent post-Soviet Lithuania from 1993 to 1998 and Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006. He also served as head of the Communist Party of Li ...
.


Gallery

File:Medininku pilis bokstas vidus.JPG, Inside of the keep File:Medinku pilis ieimas i boksta.JPG, Entrance into the keep File:Medininkų pilis iš dangaus - www.aerialmedia.tv 02.jpg, Aerial view of the castle File:Medininkų pilis iš dangaus 03.jpg, Aerial view of the main tower File:LT-2006-50litų-Medininkų pilis-b.png,
Litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 centų (genit ...
commemorative coin Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...
dedicated to the Medininkai Castle


See also

*
Castles in Lithuania Most of Lithuania's early castles were wooden and have not survived. Those that remain are of stone and brick construction dating from the 13th century onwards. List of castles and castle ruins in Lithuania See also * List of castles in Belar ...


References


External links


Medininkai Castle description

Medininkai Castle Photos by Lithuanian PhotographThe Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea
Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Castles in Lithuania Brick Gothic Buildings and structures in Vilnius County Museums in Vilnius County Castles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania {{Lithuania-struct-stub