The Royal palace in Vilnius Upper castle - problems of reconstruction

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Archeologija; Architektūra; Aukštutinė pilis; Glazūruotos čerpės; Gotika; Pilys; Plytų puošyba; Rekonstrukcija; Rekonstrukcijos; Viduramžiai; Vilnius; Archaeology; Architecture; Brick decoration; Castles; Glazed tiles; Gothic; Middle Ages; Reconstruction; Reconstructions; Upper Castle; Vilnius.

ENThe most important source of representation of the Royal palace is a plan of the city of Vilnius made by Georg van Bruyen’s and Frans Hoogenbergh’s during the second half of the 16 th century. The explanatory text of the panoramic view reveals two Royal palaces at Vilnius Castle. An art critic and historian Vladas Drėma in his model of Vilnius castle in the middle of the 17th century reconstructed the Royal palace on the hill with an oriel in the north - eastern corner and corner tower in the south-western corner. Lateran architect, Sigitas Lasavickas, in his project of reconstruction of the same palace on Upper Castle, showed fine a Gothic - styled residence with four oriels in each corner (Fig. 1). Let us go back to the text of the most ancient plan of Vilnius, which describes the Royal Palace in the hill as having towers. So it had at least two towers. The plan of Vilnius made at the beginning of the 19 th century by Karolis Grunertas also gives an additional information, that the Royal palace in the Upper Castle had two corner towers at the corners of the southern frontage (Fig. 2). Another source - sepia drawn by Pranciškus Smuglevičius at the end of the 18th century shows the ruins of the Royal palace with an enlargement in the south-eastern corner (Fig. 3). Only at first sight is it possible to interpret this widening as an oriel.Combining these sources it is better to conclude that the southern frontage of Royal palace in the Upper Castle had two defensive corner towers with widening in the top, also with balistrarias (Armbrustschieäscharte) for crossbow shots (Fig. On a Front page). The last and largest reconstruction of the Upper castle was made after fire in 1419 and carried out by rule Vytautas-Alexander the Great. At the beginning of the 15th century reconstructed Royal palace on the hill took on some exterior decoration of the late Gothic. Vytautas - Alexander visited German Order twice in the years of 1382-1384 and 1390-1392. He had an opportunity personally to see Order castles, also Marienburg (Malbork). It is possible that the palace of the Great master in the Middle Castle of Marienburg with two corner towers on its western frontage, influenced on reconstruction of the Royal palace in Vilnius Upper castle. [From the publication]