Medvėgalis was a 14th-century hill fort in Samogitia, located in present-day Šilalė District Municipality. It was first mentioned in 1316 in written texts and was one of the most important and strongest Lithuanian forts in the area. It was attacked by the Teutonic Knights over 20 times throughout history, including the Siege of Medvėgalis in 1329, when it fell to the Teutonic forces and its defenders were converted to Catholicism.
The settlement at the hill fort complex lies to the southwest and northeast of the fort. It was put in order in 2006 by the Varniai Regional Park and the Ministry of Environment. The fort was the subject of a poem by the poet Maironis.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.