Gedimin's Tower: history, design features, meaning

The ancient Gediminas Tower (Lithuania, Vilnius) is the only surviving fortification on the famous Castle Hill. The structure is considered a majestic example of medieval architectural Gothic architecture. It is a symbol of Vilnius, a place where tourists and visitors of the city aspire to touch its history.

Gedimin's Tower (Lithuania)

The historical and cultural monument in Vilnius bears the name of the founder of the city - the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. By his order, a fortress was built on the Castle Hill. From its upper part in the active form remained a massive twenty-meter tower, built of natural stone and bricks.

The construction survived many wars, survived in battles, although it survived to our time thanks to several restorations. Time changes the landscape, the rock of the mountain is showered. In 2010, serious work was carried out to prevent landslides, which threatened the destruction of the historical and cultural monument.

At one time the tower was part of the inner fortress complex, built as the last line of defense against the attack of invaders. Of the two towers and the ring fence, only the Western structure is preserved. The massive structure now has three floors. The tower is made in the form of an octagon with the window-loopholes characteristic for those times. The climb to the floors is carried out on a spiral staircase, walled in the wall.

Legend

There is a mention that the defensive structure on this site existed before (XIII century). Nevertheless, it is believed that the Gedimin's Tower and the whole Vilna Castle appeared after the vision of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. Hunting with his retinue in those places, during a rest in a dream, he saw an enormous wolf standing on top of a hill. He cautiously and defiantly howled, not fearing anyone. The prince allegedly tried to hit him with an arrow several times. But hits did not hurt him, since he was clothed in armor. The arrows simply bounced off his armor.

The interpretations of sleep by the priests amounted to one thing: such a vision can only be a sign from above. They suggested that it would be good to put a fortress on the wolf's place. Gediminas decided to do as priests advised, because they assumed that the majestic castle and the future city around it should glorify the Lithuanian Principality. After some time, on a high hill with steep slopes, construction of a fortress began. A symbol of Vilnius is a wolf in armor.

History

According to the surviving evidence, the castle complex existed already in 1323. The stone walls of the upper citadel and both towers were presumably erected in the first half of the 14th century. During the siege of the Crusaders at the end of the century, the fortress was badly damaged. After a violent fire (1419), the citadel and Gedimin's tower were restored by Prince Vitovt (grandson of Gediminas).

Locks and defenses gradually ceased to be a decisive factor in the battles, since artillery during the siege could be nullified by their defensive function. Nevertheless, in 1960, the Upper Castle survived the onset of Polish-Lithuanian troops. The Russian garrison, who had taken shelter there, sustained a siege for a long time (16 months). Thanks to the dominant heights and the possibility of shelling from cannon, the attackers managed to restrain. The upper castle, seriously damaged after the assaults, was not completely restored in its original form.

Gedimin's Tower: address, location

In the panorama of the city Castle Hill and the only tower on it occupies a dominant position. From its viewing platform, the valley of the river Vilnia is perfectly visible, the buildings in the historic quarter are against the background of modern buildings. The mountain itself is located in the Cathedral Square area, next to the church of Sts. Stanislaus. Steep slopes rise to a height of almost 50 m (143 m above sea level).

From the Lower Castle to the Gediminas Tower you can get to the cable car, admiring the surrounding landscapes, or walk along the path in the form of a spiral. Nearby are the ruins of the Upper Castle. The foundation of the second (South) tower and the area of the fortress fence has been preserved. Having overcome the spiral staircase, arranged in the thickness of the wall, 78 steps, you can get to the observation deck, located another twenty meters higher.

Application

The fortifications of the Upper Castle were used in the non-military time as auxiliary premises. There was stored an arsenal, the pantry for ammunition and equipment was arranged. The Gedimin Tower was used as an observation stronghold. There was a time when the Upper Castle was used as a prison. The remains of the fortress walls and the ruins were gradually dismantled. The surviving two floors of the tower in the 30s of the XIX were adapted to accommodate soldiers. On the upper level was installed superstructure in two floors. There was arranged a beacon of an optical telegraph.

After the withdrawal of fortifications on the Castle Hill from the number of defensive structures (1878), all the structures became available for visits. The tower was equipped with a fire tower. On the lower tiers was a coffee shop. The wooden superstructure was dismantled after the end of the First World War, and in its place the third floor was restored. Since 1960, the exhibits of the Lithuanian National Museum have been exhibited in the premises of the restored tower. Rising to the observation deck of the upper tier, tourists and all comers can survey the panorama of the city. There is also a flagpole on which the national flag flies.

Value

After several restorations, Gedimin's tower in Vilnius became a place of visiting tourists and visitors of the city. Inside, everyone can see the exposition of the national museum (there is its branch). You can see the models of ancient castles in different periods, see the combat dress of Lithuanian knights during the battles in the XIII-XVIII centuries.

The tradition of the annual raising of the flag is associated with the tower. In the distant 1919, January 1, volunteers and patriots first raised the current national tricolor on the flagstaff (yellow, green and red on the flag). Gedimin's Tower is not only a place of pilgrimage of tourists and the center of rallying of state patriots, it is also an important monument of history, architecture, medieval architecture, miraculously preserved property of the Lithuanian people.