Published: 22023-12-30 — Updated on 2024-01-14

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The House of Horodniczy in the Lower Castle in Vilnius. What was behind the simplistic façade?

Birutė Rūta Vitkauskienė
Artifex Novus
Section: Artykuły tematyczne
https://doi.org/10.21697/an.13459

Abstract

The thesis is dedicated to the architectural analysis of Horodniczy or Castle Keeper House (lithuan. Pilininkas’ House) in the Lower Castle of Vilnius. It is the only building in the Castle that mostly preserved the 16th and 17th centuries masonry walls. In 2019 after the renovation of the building began, its hitherto unknown parts were revealed – four entrances through tunnels to the cellars, which were called ‘necks’ (szyje) or something like a tunnel to the cellar (przypiwniczek). Archaeological and architectural research helped establish that the building was supported by a retaining wall supporting the hillside, and the four cellars were excavated later. They were accessed from the yard through four long tunnels. The dating of the construction of the building was determined after examining the accounts of the estate of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund August (Žygimantas Augustas), from which it can be seen that the retaining wall of the mountain and the adjacent Radziwil Palace (Domus Radziwillonis) were built in 1544–1545, and the construction continued in 1546–1548. All newly constructed buildings were connected to the Palaces of Sigismund August by galleries, and several closed courtyards were formed. The inventory compiled in 1738 of the Horodniczy House revealed the interior structure of the building. The drawings made by the Russian military in the 19th century showed that the building was significantly simplified, and all four tunnels were demolished. The building was used for workshops and kitchens for over 100 years. After the restoration and reconstruction, Pilininkas’ House as it is called now will house the expositions of the Lithuanian National Museum.

Keywords:

Vilnius, Keeper of the Castle, Lower Castle, tunnel to the cellar

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Vitkauskienė, B. R. (2024). The House of Horodniczy in the Lower Castle in Vilnius. What was behind the simplistic façade?. Artifex Novus, (7), 26–57. https://doi.org/10.21697/an.13459 (Original work published December 30, 2023)

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