Trakai Island Castle today

The bridge to the main castle gatehouse

The inner yard of the palace and its wooden stair galleries

The Ducal Palace and its donjon

Side view of the Ducal Palace

Trakai Island Castle in ruins (1877)

Trakai Island Castle is located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island in Lake Galvė. The castle is sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg". The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance. The term Trakai Castle might refer to three separate castles in Lithuania: Trakai Island Castle, located on an island in Lake GalvÄ— Trakai Peninsula Castle, located on a peninsula of Lake GalvÄ— Old Trakai Castle, located in the Old Trakai, 4 km southeast from Trakai Category: ... Download high resolution version (1022x582, 427 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1022x582, 427 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 565 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bridge and castle of Trakai, Lithuania, July 2006 Brücke und Burg Trakai, Litauen, Juli 2006 Ponto kaj kastelo Trakai, Litovio, Julio 2006 Photo Foto Nuotrauka... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 565 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bridge and castle of Trakai, Lithuania, July 2006 Brücke und Burg Trakai, Litauen, Juli 2006 Ponto kaj kastelo Trakai, Litovio, Julio 2006 Photo Foto Nuotrauka... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 322 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1860 × 3465 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 322 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1860 × 3465 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2560 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2560 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (884 × 589 pixel, file size: 398 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Trakai Island Castle Metadata This file... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (884 × 589 pixel, file size: 398 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Trakai Island Castle Metadata This file... Image File history File links Orda_Troki. ... Image File history File links Orda_Troki. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Location Ethnographic region AukÅ¡taitija County Vilnius County Municipality Trakai district municipality Elderate Trakai elderate Number of elderates Coordinates General information Capital of Trakai district municipality Trakai elderate Population (rank) 5,504 in 2005 (56th) First mentioned 1337 Granted city rights 1409 The reconstructed Trakai Island Castle Trakai (Polish: ) is... Lake Galve Lake GalvÄ— is a lake in Trakai Lithuania. ... Malbork Castle (German: ) was built by the Teutonic Order as Ordensburg and named Marienburg (literally Marys Castle). The city which grew around it was also named Marienburg, now called Malbork. ... Pillars of Giedymin Castle of Trakai KÄ™stutis (approximate English transcription [kæs. ... Events January 1 - The Welsh surrender Harlech Castle to the English. ... Vytautas the Great, 17th century painting Trakai Island Castle Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian:  ; Belarusian: ; Polish: ; Ruthenian: Vitovt; German: ; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; ca. ... // Events May 23 - Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The Ottoman Empire captures Thessalonica from the Venetians First use of optical methods in the creation of Art A map of Europe in 1430. ... The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Å»amojckaje, Belarusian: , Ukrainian: , Polish: , Latin: ) was an Eastern and Central European state of the 12th[1] /13th century until the 18th century. ...

Construction

First Phase

Trakai Island Castle was built in several phases. During the first phase, in the second half of the 14th century, the castle was constructed on the largest of three lake islands by the order of Grand Duke Kęstutis. The construction of Trakai Island Castle was related to the expansion and strengthening of the Trakai Peninsula Castle. Kęstutis moved his main residence and his treasury to the Island Castle. Pillars of Giedymin Castle of Trakai KÄ™stutis (approximate English transcription [kæs. ... The wall and the tower of the castle Trakai Peninsula Castle is in Trakai, Lithuania. ...

The castle suffered major damage during an attack by the Teutonic Knights in 1377. After the assassination of Kęstutis, a power struggle between Jogaila and Vytautas the Great for the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania began. The castle was besieged by both sides. Soon after the reconciliation between Jogaila and Vytautas, the second phase of construction started and continued until 1409. This phase is regarded as the major development in the history of the castle. Apparently, during the truce with the Teutonic Order, the construction works were supervised by the Order's stonemason Radike, four years before the Battle of Grunwald.^[1] For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... // Events January 17 – Pope Gregory XI enters Rome. ... Jogaila, or WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw II JagieÅ‚Å‚o[1] (ca 1362–1434), was a Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. ... Vytautas the Great, 17th century painting Trakai Island Castle Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian:  ; Belarusian: ; Polish: ; Ruthenian: Vitovt; German: ; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; ca. ... The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Å»amojckaje, Belarusian: , Ukrainian: , Polish: , Latin: ) was an Eastern and Central European state of the 12th[1] /13th century until the 18th century. ... Events January 1 - The Welsh surrender Harlech Castle to the English. ... Combatants Kingdom of Poland Grand Duchy of Lithuania Teutonic Order and Mercenaries and Various Knights from the rest of Europe Commanders WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw II JagieÅ‚Å‚o, Vytautas the Great Ulrich von Jungingen† Strength 39,000 27,000 Casualties Unknown 8,000 dead 14,000 captured The Battle of Grunwald...

Second Phase

During the second phase, two wings were added, and on the southern side a 6 story (35 m. high) donjon was built. The donjon had movable gates which separated the palace from the forecastle. The donjon was used for several functions; besides serving as another defensive structure, it had a chapel and living quarters. It was linked to the multistory Ducal Palace, which had an inner yard. The inner yard had wooden galleries, which ran around the inner wall; these galleries were used to access various support facilities without going inside the palace itself. The keep of Scarborough Castle Rochester Castle featuring a massive turreted keep Early 13th century keep (Rouen, France) The 14th century residential keep at Largoët A keep is a strong central tower which normally forms the heart of a castle. ...

The entire southern wing of the southern palace was used for the Ducal Hall. This hall was around 10 x 21 meters in size, and only the Upper Palace in the Vilnius Castle Complex managed to surpass it. The Ducal Hall has preserved its original décor. Vilnius Castle in 1740: Upper Castle: 1. ...

The principal construction material was so-called red Gothic bricks. Stone blocks were used only in the foundations and the upper parts of buildings, towers and walls. The castle was decorated in a variety of ways, including glazed roof tiling, burned bricks, and stained glass windows. Its overall style after the second construction phase could be described as Gothic with some Romanesque features. Interior of Cologne Cathedral Interior of San Zanipolo, Venice, photo Giovanni dallOrto. ... South transept of Tournai Cathedral, Belgium, 12th century. ...

Third Phase

The expansion of the forecastle in the early 15th century marked the third phase of Trakai's development. The walls of the forecastle were strengthened to a thickness of 2.5 meters and raised with additional firing galleries. Three major defensive towers were constructed on the corners. The southwestern tower was also used as a prison. The top story of the towers was designed for soldiers and housed a large number of cannons. A main gatehouse was also constructed which, along with the Ducal Palace donjon, had movable gates. The gatehouse was reinforced with additional sections for firing galleries. Near the inner walls several buildings were constructed, including stables, kitchens, and other support structures. When the castle was undergoing this expansion in the 15th century, the water level of Lake Galvė was several meters higher than it is today. The castle builders took advantage of this by separating the Ducal Palace and the forecastle with a moat, just wide enough for small boats to sail through. They were connected by gates that could be raised in case of an enemy attack.

Falling into Disrepair

Trakai Island Castle lost its military importance soon after the Battle of Grunwald, when the chief enemy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was defeated by the Lithuanian-Polish army. The castle was transformed into a residence and newly decorated from the inside. New frescos were painted on its walls, which have been partially preserved. Foreign emissaries were welcomed in the Ducal Palace. It is known that Jogaila visited the castle thirteen times between 1413 and 1430. In 1414, the Flemish traveler Gilliber de Lannoy described the castle in these words: Combatants Kingdom of Poland Grand Duchy of Lithuania Teutonic Order and Mercenaries and Various Knights from the rest of Europe Commanders Władysław II Jagiełło, Vytautas the Great Ulrich von Jungingen† Strength 39,000 27,000 Casualties Unknown 8,000 dead 14,000 captured The Battle of Grunwald... The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Żamojckaje, Belarusian: , Ukrainian: , Polish: , Latin: ) was an Eastern and Central European state of the 12th[1] /13th century until the 18th century. ... // Events Council of Constance begins. ... The term Flemings (Dutch: ) denotes the majority population in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). ...

Grand Duke Vytautas the Great died in the castle without being crowned as King of Lithuania in 1430. During the rule of Sigismund Augustus, the castle was redecorated in a Renaissance style, and it served as the royal summer residence for a short period of time. Lithuanian Metrica was kept in the castle until 1511. Later the castle served as a prison. During the wars with Muscovy in the 17th century, the castle was damaged and was not reconstructed again. It gradually fell into disrepair. King of Lithuania was the title of the ruler of Lithuania. ... Reign From April 1, 1548 until July 6, 1572 Coronation On September 15, 1697 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Zygmunt I the Old Bona Sforza Consorts Elżbieta Habsburzanka Barbara Radziwiłł Katarzyna Austriaczka Barbara Giżycka Children with Barbara Giżycka Barbara Date of... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... A Lithuanian Metrica of 1511-18, from the chancellery of Lithuanian Grand Chancellor Mikołaj Radziwiłł, written in Ruthenian. ... Year 1511 (MDXI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Muscovy (Moscow principality (княжество Московское) to Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое Княжество Московское) to Russian Tsardom (Царство Русское)) is a traditional Western name for the Russian state that existed from the 14th century to the late 17th century. ...

Reconstruction

During the 19th century, castle reconstruction plans were prepared. Its original frescos were preserved and copied by Vincentas Smakauskas. The Imperial Archaeological Commission initiated the documentation of the remaining castle in 1888. In 1905 the Imperial Russian authorities decided to partially restore the castle ruins. During World War I, Germans brought in their specialists, who made several attempts to restore the castle. In 1935-1941 parts of the Ducal Palace walls were strengthened, and the southeastern forecastle tower was rebuilt, including sections of its walls. Lithuanian and Polish preservationists worked on the project, but the work stopped when the war gained in intensity. After World War II, a major reconstruction project was begun in 1946; active work started in 1951-1952. The major portion of the reconstruction was finished in 1961. The castle was reconstructed in a 15th century style. For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trakai Island Castle is now a major tourist attraction.

References

See also

• Trakai Peninsula Castle
• Old Trakai Castle
• List of castles in Lithuania

Coordinates: 54.652° N 24.934° E The wall and the tower of the castle Trakai Peninsula Castle is in Trakai, Lithuania. ... Old Trakai Castle was a castle in Senieji Trakai (literally: Old Trakai) in Lithuania. ... Most of Lithuanian early castles were wooden and didnt survive until nowadays. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...