Rokantiškės Castle Site

The Rokantiškės castle site is also called Castle Hill. A very old and beautiful castle is said to have stood on this high (35–40 m), steep-sided hill in Rokantiškės. Rokantiškės Castle is thought to be one of the oldest in Lithuania. Chronicles and legends say it was built in the 12th century by Duke Alšis. In the first half of the 16th century the castle belonged to the Goštautas family, later passed to Sigismund Augustus, and in the first half of the 17th century it was owned by the Pac family. The steep slopes of the castle hill and its convenient location saved the castle from surprise attacks. The site is surrounded by the Vilnia valley to the north and east, and by a deep, steep-sided ravine to the west. Only on the south side does a narrow neck of land join it to the neighbouring hills. The only road, running along this neck, leads to the village of Strielčiukai, where the castle's defenders, the riflemen, once lived. On top of the hill stood a palace, rebuilt in the second half of the 16th century. At the beginning of the 17th century, Stefan Pac received Władysław Vasa, ruler of Lithuania and Poland, at the splendid Rokantiškės castle residence. In the middle of that century the castle was burned during the Muscovite army's campaign against Lithuania. After Vilnius was captured, the castle site fell into complete ruin and became overgrown with forest. Today, on the trapezoid-shaped plateau, remains of the castle ruins – the former castle's foundations – can be found. Only the upper part of the cultural layer has been studied. From the remains of buildings and 16th–18th-century bricks, roof tiles and stove tiles, it has been established that a 45×20 m palace stood on this hill. The former palace is said to have had at least three levels: cellars, a ground floor and an upper floor. The palace walls were 2 m thick and the window openings were lined with brick. To the south there was a courtyard enclosed by a defensive wall, with casemates along its western part and a gate tower in the south-western corner. Today the castle hill has been tidied up and adapted for visitors, and the view from the castle site over the surroundings, the slopes of the hill and the Naujoji Vilnia district has been opened up.