The ancient Gediminas Tower (Lithuania, Vilnius) is the only surviving fortification on the famous Castle Hill. The construction is considered a magnificent example of medieval architectural Gothic. This is a symbol of Vilnius, a place where tourists and visitors rush to touch its history.
Gediminas 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 on Castle Hill was laid. From its upper part, in its present form, a massive twenty-meter tower, built of natural stone and brick, remained.
The building survived many wars, resisted the battles, although it has survived to our time thanks to several restorations. Time is changing the landscape, the rock of the mountain is crumbling. In 2010, serious work was done to prevent landslides, which pose a threat to the destruction of a historical and cultural monument.
At one time, the tower was part of the internal fortress complex, built as the last frontier of defense against attack by invaders. Of the two towers and the ring fence, only the Western structure was preserved. The massive structure currently has three floors. The tower is made in the form of an octagon with loophole windows typical of those times. Climbing to the floors is carried out by a spiral staircase embedded in the wall.
Legend
There is a mention that the defensive structure at this place existed before (XIII century). Nevertheless, it is believed that the Gediminas' Tower and the entire Vilnius Castle appeared after the vision of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. Hunting with his retinue in those places, while relaxing in a dream, he saw a huge wolf standing on top of a hill. He howled and defiantly howled, not fearing anyone. The prince allegedly tried to hit him with an arrow several times. But the hits did not harm him, since he was dressed in armor. The arrows simply bounced off his armor.
The interpretation of sleep by priests was reduced to one thing: such a vision can only be familiar from above. They suggested that in place of the wolf it would be good to put up a fortress. Gediminas decided to do as the priests advised, because they assumed that the magnificent castle and the future city around it should glorify the Principality of Lithuania. After some time, the construction of the fortress began on a high hill with steep slopes. And the 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 supposedly built in the first half of the 14th century. During the siege of the crusaders at the end of the century, the fortress suffered greatly. After a strong fire (1419), the citadel and tower of Gediminas was restored by Prince Vitovt (grandson of Gediminas).
Castles and fortifications gradually ceased to be a decisive factor in battles, since artillery during the siege could negate their protective function. Nevertheless, in 1960, the Upper Castle survived the offensive of the Polish-Lithuanian forces. The Russian garrison that took refuge there for a long time (16 months) withstood the siege. Thanks to the dominant heights and the possibility of shelling from cannons, the advancing ones were able to restrain. The upper castle, which was seriously damaged after the assaults, was not fully restored in its original form.
Gediminas' Tower: address, location
In the panorama of the city Castle Hill and the only tower on it occupies a dominant position. From its observation deck, the Vilna River Valley is clearly visible, the buildings in the historical quarter against the background of modern buildings. The mountain itself is located in the Cathedral Square, next to the Church of St. Stanislav. 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 on the funicular, 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 site of the fortress fence have been preserved. Having overcome 78 steps along a spiral staircase, arranged in the thickness of the wall, you can get to the observation deck, another twenty meters higher.
Application
The fortifications of the Upper Castle were used in non-war times as auxiliary facilities. An arsenal was stored there, a pantry was arranged for ammunition and equipment. Gediminas' tower was used as an observation stronghold. There was a time when the Upper Castle was used as a prison building. The remains of the fortress walls and ruins were gradually dismantled. The surviving two floors of the tower in the 30s of the XIX century were adapted to accommodate soldiers. A superstructure of two floors was installed on the upper tier. An optical telegraph lighthouse was arranged there.
After the withdrawal of fortifications on Castle Hill from the number of defense structures (1878), all structures became available for visits. The tower was equipped with a fire tower. On its lower tiers was a coffee shop. The wooden superstructure was dismantled after the end of the First World War, and the third floor was restored in its place. Since 1960, exhibits of the Lithuanian National Museum have been exhibited in the restored tower. Climbing to the observation deck of the upper tier, tourists and everyone can see the panorama of the city. There is also a flagpole on which the national flag flutters.
