Senieji Trakai Castle

Senieji Trakai, Lithuania

The first enclosure-type brick castle in Senieji Trakai was built by Grand Duke Gediminas, who transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai (today's Senieji Trakai) before 1321. The wedding of Grand Duke Kęstutis and Birutė was held there and it was the birthplace of the Grand Duke Vytautas in 1350.

The castle in Senieji Trakai was destroyed by the Teutonic Order in 1391, subsequently abandoned and never rebuilt as a new castle had been erected in Trakai by Kęstutis. The ruins of the castle were granted to Benedictian monks by Vytautas in 1405. It is presumed that the present monastery building, dating from the 15th century, holds the remains of Gediminas castle.

Archaeological research on the hillfort mound was carried out in 1996–1997. The findings confirmed the existence of a former rectangular masonry castle wall, which had surrounded the hill. It is supposed that the residential buildings had occupied the area near the church and the churchyard.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

4713 6, Senieji Trakai, Lithuania
See all sites in Senieji Trakai

Details

Founded: before 1321
Category: Castles and fortifications in Lithuania

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.seniejitrakai.lt

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Trakai Island Castle (6,2 km)
Trakai Peninsula Castle (5,4 km)
St. Mary's Church (5,3 km)


Vilnius Cathedral (21,5 km)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (21,6 km)
St. John's Church (21,4 km)
Gediminas' Tower (21,7 km)
Vilnius University (21,4 km)
National Museum of Lithuania (21,6 km)
Vilnius Town Hall (21,1 km)
St. Anne's Church (21,7 km)
St. Casimir's Church (21,2 km)

User Reviews

Arturas Rusinovas (3 years ago)
Daug vienuoliu
TheRin30 (3 years ago)
В настоящее время от замка осталось лишь городище. В 1321 году великий князь литовский Гедимин устроил недалеко от новой столицы Вильнюса одну из своих новых резиденций и построил в ней кирпичный замок (нынешний Старый Тракай). В 1337 году он стал главным городом созданного княжества. Сын Гедимина Кестут построил себе новый замок в нынешнем Тракае на озере. В Старом Тракае родился великий князь литовский Витовт. Замок в Старом Тракае был разрушен Тевтонским Орденом в 1391 году. В 1405 году руины замка были подарены Витовтом бенедиктинским монахам, которые основали здесь монастырь. Предполагается, что нынешнее здание монастыря, датируемое XV веком, включает в себя остатки замка Гедимина.Центральная часть Старого Тракая вместе с монастырём провозглашена архитектурным заповедником.
A Z (3 years ago)
worth a visit for sure. Quite carefully restored castle on the island, surrounded by picturesque lakes. Inside the castle there is an interesting museum. At souvenir stalls prices are often higher than in Vilnius
Egidijus Bartkus (5 years ago)
By far the nicest castle in Lithuania
Adomas Rutkauskas (5 years ago)
Lithuanian classics :) If you come to Lithuania for longer than two or three days, you MUST visit at least two castles - Gediminas (the Upper) castle in Vilnius and Castle of Trakai :)
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

Historic Site of the week

Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.