
Trakai Peninsula Castle is one of the castles in
Trakai
Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. ...
,
Lithuania. It is located on a peninsula between southern
Lake Galvė
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
and
Lake Luka
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the World Ocean, oce ...
. Built around 1350–1377 by
Kęstutis
Kęstutis ( la, Kinstut, ; – 3 or 15 August 1382) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila ...
,
Duke of Trakai
Duchy of Trakai was a subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 14th and early 15th centuries. The Duke of Trakai was an important position held either by the Grand Duke of Lithuania himself or his second-in-command.
History
After th ...
, it was an important defensive structure protecting Trakai and
Vilnius
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 u ...
, capital 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 Lit ...
, against attacks of the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
.
[ Much of the castle was destroyed in the 17th century. Remaining walls and towers are preserved and protected by the ]Trakai Historical National Park
__NOTOC__
Trakai Historical National Park is a national park in Lithuania. It was designated in 1992 to embrace the historic city of Trakai, some 25 kilometers west of Vilnius, and the forests, lakes, and villages in its environs. The Park has Cat ...
.
The castle had seven towers connected by a high wall. The three largest towers, measuring , protected the most vulnerable southwestern flank.[ A wide ]moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
separated the structure from the town. The castle was attacked in 1382 and 1383 (during the civil war of 1381–1384) and in 1390 (during the civil war of 1389–1392).[ After the 1422 ]Treaty of Melno
The Treaty of Melno ( lt, Melno taika; pl, Pokój melneński) or Treaty of Lake Melno (german: Friede von Melnosee) was a peace treaty ending the Gollub War. It was signed on 27 September 1422, between the Teutonic Knights and an alliance of the ...
, the castle lost its significance as a defensive structure. It is known that Grand Dukes used it as a residence. Sigismund Kęstutaitis
Sigismund Kęstutaitis ( lt, Žygimantas I Kęstutaitis, pl, Zygmunt Kiejstutowicz; 136520 March 1440) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1432 to 1440. Sigismund was his baptismal name, while his pagan Lithuanian birth name is unknown. He was ...
was murdered in the castle on 20 March 1440.[
In the 16th century the castle was used as a prison. It was destroyed during the ]Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)
The Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, also called the Thirteen Years' War and the First Northern War, was a major conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Between 1655 and 1660, the Swedish invasion was a ...
and never rebuilt. The territory was granted to a Dominican cloister in 1678 by Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński
Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński (1632 – 5 January 1690 in Alovė, now Alytus district of Lithuania) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, a military commander and a statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He ...
, Voivode of Trakai
lt, Trakų vaivadija pl, Województwo trockie
, conventional_long_name = Trakai Voivodeship
, common_name = Trakai
, subdivision = Voivodeship
, nation = Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1413–1569)
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
, year_ ...
. It was not until the 1770s that the monks eventually built their monastery and church;[ these buildings are also part of the castle ensemble.
]
See also
* Trakai Island Castle
Trakai Island Castle ( lt, Trakų salos pilis; pl, Zamek w Trokach) is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around ...
* Old Trakai Castle
Senieji Trakai Castle was a castle in Senieji Trakai (literally: ''Old'' Trakai), Lithuania.
The first enclosure-type brick castle was built by Grand Duke Gediminas, who transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai (today's ''S ...
* List of 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 ...
* Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Lithuania is not the very centre of Gothic architecture, but it provides a number of examples, partly very different and some quite unique. Conditions
Lithuania, situated at the border of Greek and Roman Church had developed by the defence of i ...
* ''''
References
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in 1377
Castles in Lithuania
Brick Gothic
Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Buildings and structures in Trakai
Tourist attractions in Vilnius County