While walking in Cathedral Square, you can find the patterns of reddish granite slabs. It is not a modern piece of art but it marks the location of the former defensive wall and the bishop’s house. The foundations of the palace have been preserved; thus, when walking on the red line of the pavement you are, in fact, walking along the paths of history. In 1387, Jogaila donated one masonry and four wooden buildings found on the territory of Vilnius Castle to Vilnius’ Bishop Andrius.

What were the requirements for becoming a bishop? Implicit faith was not enough. When electing a bishop, the candidate’s education and organisational skills were taken into consideration as well as how the person performed activities aimed at spreading the awareness of Christianity. Besides, from the start of the 16th&nbsp;century, it was important to make sure that a representative of a noble and influential family would occupy the throne of the bishop.

It is thought that Vilnius’ bishopric was the biggest in Europe. Bishops took care not only of people’s faith – as a result of their activities we can take pleasure in visiting Vilnius Cathedral and many other churches in the city, the construction and welfare of which were supervised by bishops. Rulers, noblemen and bishops donated expensive liturgical articles to the Cathedral, part of which are preserved and can be found in the exposition of the Ecclesiastical Heritage Museum today.

Bishop’s House

What are your memories from your school days? 
 
If you lived in the 15th&nbsp;century, your experience would be absolutely different from the present day. 
 
First mentioned in written sources in 1397, the oldest school in Lithuania operated in the territory of the Lower Castle and was established by Vilnius’ first bishop, Andrius. Children of both wealthy and poor families were admitted to the school and there were three grades. Apart from singing religious songs, schoolchildren had to serve during public worship and ring the Cathedral bells during big celebrations. Of course, they were taught grammar, the fundamentals of rhetoric and dialectics, arithmetic and Latin, which opened the door to opportunities for further studies, cultural relations and exchanges between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Western Europe. 
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If you ever went to music school or simply like music, you should know that the Vilnius Cathedral school might be considered the originator of music schools and choral singing in Lithuania. The school was funded from different sources, including the taxes collected from city inns. 
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Interestingly, Sigismund the Old solved the problem of school heating in the 16th&nbsp;century with a very original idea – he passed an order stating that everyone who brings firewood through Vilnius must give one log to the school. For a long time, the school was the only educational institution in the country, and the 15th&nbsp;century is considered the age of the establishment of the academic network in Lithuania.

The First School

Who lived in the Lower and Upper Castles and what did they do? Rulers lived in the territory of the castles as well as the manor. However, it was not only a residential place for rulers; foreign envoys were received and the chancellery of the Grand Duke was also established there.

The Upper Castle is mentioned in the travel diaries of the French diplomat Guillevert de Lannoy. He wrote that he saw a castle fortified with stones, soil and masonry on a high sandy hill. In fact, in the 16th&nbsp;century, the masonry of the Upper Castle was already dilapidated while the Upper Castle was in its heyday. It was surrounded by a defensive wall and the guarded territory was bursting with life – wooden housing was constructed along narrow streets and masonry buildings belonged to wealthy city dwellers.

Today you can see one more component of the Lower and Upper Castles ensemble that has survived the centuries – the current Cathedral Bell Tower, which was once part of the defensive wall in the 13-14th&nbsp;centuries and ultimately transformed into a bell tower in the 16th&nbsp;century. Go inside to see what the first floor of the old tower looked like.

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Castles in 15th-Century Vilnius

The date of Lithuania’s Christianisation is not gauged by the baptising of a specific ruler or all resident’s but the establishment of Vilnius’ bishopric in 1387, which has been operating until today. The following year, the Pope, in cooperation with the bishopric, approved the Cathedral Chapter of Vilnius’ archbishopric – the institution that rallied the clergy elite and served as the advisory body to the archbishop. It was responsible for the construction of churches, the sacred music of Vilnius Cathedral, choirs, organs and the preservation and maintenance of the treasury. The chapter had its own coat of arms – a cross split at the bottom with two crowns on its sides.

Today when you go down Pilies Street, you can thank the chapter for the view. Members of the chapter lived near the Cathedral in the so-called Chapter Quarter and had 14 buildings at their disposition on Pilies Street alone. Due to fires in the city, the chapter undertook the construction of masonry buildings, masonry breweries and used tiles for the roofs. The Vilnius Cathedral Chapter operated until the closing of the Cathedral in 1949.

After the declaration of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania, it was replaced by the priests’ council of the bishopric. Nevertheless, buildings on Pilies Street and other streets of Vilnius Old Town that once belonged to the chapter have since become the property of the Vilnius archbishopric. It may be that your favourite shop is set up in one of the chapter’s buildings.

Vilnius Cathedral Chapter

Brotherhoods – religious associations of the clergy and secular society – were first founded in Vilnius in the 15th&nbsp;century. They serve as a reliable indicator of the intensity of religious life in that time. Their purpose was to promote the members’ Christian way of life as much as possible and engage in certain religious or public activities.

The first brotherhood known in Vilnius settled near the parochial St. John’s Church on the eve of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas’ crowning ceremony in October 1430. The head of Vilnius along with other city dwellers set their hearts on establishing a brotherhood; however, Bishop Matthew instructed members of the brotherhood to comply with the rules and the procedure of rituals that were observed by the traditional Catholics.

Bishops also used to meet with members of the brotherhood. For those who were properly prepared and took part in sacred services and performed good deeds, wakes of forty days were held. These could be earned by praying for the living and departed members of the brotherhood (10 Lord’s Prayers, 10 Hail Marys) or by donating one denarius.

Brotherhoods were also established at other churches, but in the middle of the 16th&nbsp;century, most brotherhoods ceased operating due to the surge of reformation. By the end of the 19th&nbsp;century, all the brotherhoods were eliminated.

Vilnius’ Brotherhoods

In the 15th&nbsp;century, Vilnius was inhabited by pagan Lithuanians, Catholic Germans and Orthodox Russians. Due to the expansion of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Russian community in Vilnius was rather big and their language was used to draft official documents and the letters of the rulers. It is therefore no wonder that if you went to Vilnius in the 15th&nbsp;century, you would see both the towers of the Cathedral or St. Johns’ Church and as many as 14 Orthodox churches.

The Orthodox lived in Lithuania from the 13th&nbsp;century, but the first Orthodox churches were built only in the times of the reign of Algirdas. Today you can feast your eyes on the St. Parasceve Orthodox Church and the Church of the Holy Mother of God, though they have changed over time. Communities that practiced different religions lived in separate areas and the locations allocated to Orthodox churches marked the borders of the community – the City of Russians (Civitas Rutenica) occupied a considerable part of Vilnius’ territory, which stretched from the hill of the Upper Castle to the roads leading to Russia. Russians could be recognised by their distinctive clothing and you could meet many bearded monks in their designated territory.

Who were the most famous Russians of Vilnius? In the 16th&nbsp;century it was the Russian printer Franciscus Skorina, who printed the first books in Vilnius; and in the 16-17th&nbsp;century, the well-known Russian noblemen Chodkevich and Sapieha were prominent figures.

Civitas Rutenica

A ruler could not be present in the capital city at all times – he had to look after the larger territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and fight in battles. Therefore, the arrival of a ruler in the city was often regarded as a big event.

Traditionally, Jogaila arrived in Vilnius to celebrate winter feasts and meet with Vytautas. He went there at least 25 times, mostly in early winter, and would spend anywhere from a day to a few months. Subsequent rulers also liked coming to Vilnius with their families. When a ruler came to the city, solemn parades along the main streets leading to their residence were organised. Rulers would come to Vilnius on the old road from Krakow, so when you walk down the streets of Rūdninkų, Didžioji or Pilies, you can imagine following the footsteps of Jogaila or Vytautas. This route was also taken by honourable guests of the city and state, and high officers – this route was a certain highway of the time.

The above-mentioned streets are no less important nowadays ­– while walking from the Valley of Šventaragis, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and the Cathedral, remnants of Vytautas the Great can be observed. Passing the House of the Signatories, Vilnius Town Hall, the Great Seimas Palace of Vilnius and the Gate of Dawn (Aušros Vartai), you will touch different periods of history, during which present-day Vilnius and Lithuania developed.

Trail of the Rulers in Vilnius

Although Jogaila granted Vilnius the Magdeburg rights in 1387, which secured the city self-governance and gave it the right to build a town hall, Vilnius Town Hall was only first mentioned in 1432 and later in 1503. The Town Hall served as the seat of the city guard service, where all measurement standards (etalons) were kept and an armament and weaponry were stored.

The Town Hall also housed the magistrate, which is similar to the present-day city council in terms of its purpose. The magistrate was led by the head of the city (vaitas) and was responsible for the city’s property, collecting charges and taxes, taking care of the city’s treasury, saving grain stocks and providing public notary services. The head of the city presided over magistrate meetings, considered cases and imposed punishments.

The Town Hall basement also holds a horrific secret – it was a prison for the most serious criminals who were sentenced to death. In those days, various death penalties were used but the most disgraceful one – hanging – could be witnessed right there in the gallows installed at Town Hall.

City Hall

Could you call yourself a city dweller these days? In the 15thcentury, a city dweller meant a free resident, i.e., a craftsman and merchant – a member of a workshop or guild. Back in the times of Gediminas, in his letters the Grand Duke invited craftsmen and merchants to come to Vilnius. As a result, in the 15th&nbsp;century, Vilnius was one of the biggest cities in the region and its merchants and craftsmen were among the richest. Trade was carried out with their counterparts from Antwerp, Nuremberg, Tallinn, Moscow and Constantinople. Representatives of the church, the manor of the ruler, noblemen and city dwellers were important for the merchants. However, newcomers were forbidden to trade among themselves due to the principle of stowage – in this way, local merchants could dictate buy-in prices.

What goods were most desired among residents of Vilnius? The most important imported good was salt, as well as wine, fabrics, metals, glass and paper. Lithuanian merchants exported forest materials, fur, wax and from the 16th&nbsp;century – grain. Today, when you pass the building at 24 Didžioji Street, you can see the Merchants’ Guild where all goods were stored. There were also workshops of important crafts in Vilnius: goldsmiths, tailors, furriers and mead makers. They operated like trade unions but also sought to monopolise production.

Craftsmen, Merchants and the Tailors’ Guild

Can you imagine that while strolling down the promenade on Vokiečių Street, you are actually walking where houses once stood? It is one of the oldest streets in Vilnius, on which German-speaking merchants and craftsmen lived.

The street is adjacent to the Town Hall, which was the heart of the area and a popular trading and cultural space of the city. Catholic Germans also built masonry gothic style churches, the oldest of which is St. Nicolas’ Church, which stands to this day. In fact, you could also find heaven and hell on Vokiečių Street near the Town Hall. Heaven was called a house in which peaceful, kind and highly religious people lived. Hell was the house known for rakes and ruffians.

Following WWII, the entire eastern side of the street was demolished; however, some architectural structures were preserved – you can see the Vilnius Evangelical Lutheran Church, which dates to the 16th&nbsp;century, through one of the street’s gateways. And in the house of Mueller, which has survived to date and is found on Vokiečių Street 26, city residents had the opportunity to learn about photography and see a daguerreotype brought to Vilnius from Paris.

City of Germans

The first workshop set up in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was by Vilnius’ goldsmiths, which is not surprising because dukes, noblemen and the clergy used to receive gifts from the Masters of the German Order, thus they were used to luxury articles. The demand for these goods grew rapidly and members of the goldsmiths’ guild were the wealthiest residents in the city, often occupying honourable posts in the local government.

What did you need to become a member of a workshop or guild? A goldsmith had to produce three items – a goblet, a seal with a helmet inscribed on it and a ring with a gemstone. Each article was evaluated by the Vilnius Magistrate. Goldsmiths also had to participate in sacred services, otherwise they could face a fine. Guild meetings were held in the house at Gaono g. 6, where the Embassy of Romania is housed today. You can have a look at the works of the goldsmith of those times – they are displayed in the Church Heritage Museum.

Goldsmiths’ Workshop

Compare present-day Vilnius and Vilnius of the 15th&nbsp;century to see which part of the city you would have lived in back then. 
 
“Try on” medieval jobs and professions – who would you like to be in the 15th century? 
Would you join any of the city’s brotherhoods? 
 
Some of those professions have not survived to this day – the owners of buildings have changed or buildings have disappeared off the map altogether. However, some interesting stories and authentic places have been preserved. 
 
Vilnius was bursting with life in the 15th&nbsp;century just as it is today: goods were brought from foreign countries, and the city was growing and thriving. 
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Take a walk around old Vilnius and consider whether you would have liked to live here 600 years ago.

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Vilnius

XV century: The daily life in medieval Vilnius

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