The forgotten everyday life of 15th-century Vilnius residents

After Lithuania was Christianised, the first towers of churches, mostly wooden, began to rise in Vilnius. By the middle of the 15th century, the first six churches were built in Vilnius. Neither St. Anne’s Church nor St. Martin’s Chapel, located in the Upper Castle, have survived to this day. However, the fever of church building led to the flourishing of many new crafts in the city, requiring technological and liturgical innovations. Diggers, organ builders, and glassmakers were sent to Vilnius from Kraków. There was a greater need for specialists within their specialised field, and eventually craftsmen found their new home in Vilnius. Craftsmen’s guilds and fraternities of brotherhoods in the churches also contributed to the upkeep of the churches.

Did you know that Vilnius Old Town and its churches are famous for their red tiled roofs? Tile production was a highly sophisticated technological process at the time, and these roofs helped to set Vilnius apart from its rural surroundings. The investment in the construction of churches was considerable, with a large proportion of the money and time spent on fitting them out. It is safe to say that the construction of churches in the first half of the 15th century accelerated the development of the city itself.

As you walk along Cathedral Square, notice the patterns of the dark pink granite slabs. This is not a work of modern art, but a marking of the former defensive wall and the Bishop’s house. The foundations of the palace have been preserved, so when you walk on this reddish pavement, you are actually walking along the paths of history. In 1387, Jogaila donated one masonry and four wooden buildings within the grounds of Vilnius Castle to Bishop Andrius of Vilnius.

What did it take to become a bishop? Fervent faith alone was not enough; the selection of a bishop was based on the candidate’s education, organisational skills, and the way in which he conducted proselytising activities to spread Christianity. In addition, from the early 16th century onwards, great care was taken to ensure that a member of a noble and influential family ascended to the episcopal throne. It is believed that the Bishopric of Vilnius was the largest in Europe. Bishops were not only concerned with the faith of the people – it is thanks to their work that we can enjoy visiting Vilnius Cathedral and the many other churches in Vilnius whose construction and well-being the Bishops oversaw. Rulers, noblemen, and bishops donated expensive liturgical articles to the Cathedral, some of which have been preserved and can be seen today in the Church Heritage Museum.

What are your memories from your school days? If you had lived in the 15th century, your experience would have been very different from today. The oldest school in Lithuania, first mentioned in written sources in 1397, was founded by Andrius, the first Bishop of Vilnius on the grounds of the Lower Castle. Children of both wealthy and poor families were admitted to the school, and there were three year groups. In addition to singing, the pupils had to serve during worship and ring the cathedral’s great bell during major celebrations. Of course, they were taught the basics of grammar, rhetoric and dialectics, arithmetic, and Latin, which opened up opportunities for further studies and for the cultural contacts and exchanges of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Western Europe.

If you have ever attended music school or simply love music, you will know that the Vilnius Cathedral School can be considered the pioneer of music schools and choral singing in Lithuania. The school was financed from various sources, including partly from taxes collected from the city’s taverns. Interestingly, in the 16th century, Sigismund the Old found an original solution to the problem of heating the school by decreeing that all those transporting firewood through Vilnius should give one log to the school each journey. For a long time, this school was the only educational institution in the country, and the 15th century is considered the age of the establishment of the academic network in Lithuania.

Who lived in the Lower and Upper Castle complex and what did they do? Rulers lived in the territory of the castles as well as the manor, but it was not only the residence of the rulers – foreign envoys were received here, and the chancellery of the Grand Duke was also located here. 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 stone, earth, and masonry on a high sandy hill. In fact, by the 16th century, the dilapidating masonry of the Upper Castle had already crumbled, but the Lower Castle was in its heyday. It was surrounded by a defensive wall, and life was bustling in the guarded territory; wooden dwellings were built along small streets, and stone buildings belonged to the wealthier townsfolk.

The date of the Christianisation of Lithuania is not measured by the baptism of a particular ruler or of the entire population, but the establishment of the Vilnius Bishopric in 1387, which has been in continuous operation until today. The following year, in cooperation with the bishopric, the Pope approved the Cathedral Chapter of Vilnius’ archbishopric – the institution that rallied the elite of the clergy and served as the advisory body to the archbishop. It was responsible for the construction of churches, the sacred music of Vilnius Cathedral, the choirs, organ, 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.

As you walk down Pilies Street today, you can thank the Chapter for the view. The Chapter lived near the Cathedral, in the so-called Chapter Quarter, and had 14 houses at their disposition in Pilies Street alone. Because of fires in the town, the Chapter ordered that buildings and breweries could only be constructed from stone, with tiled roofs. The Vilnius Cathedral Chapter remained active until the closure of the cathedral in 1949, and was replaced by the Diocesan Council of Priests after independence. However, the buildings on Pilies and other streets in the Old Town of Vilnius that once belonged to the Chapter are still owned by the Archdiocese of Vilnius today. Perhaps your favourite shop is located in one of the old Chapter houses.

Although in 1387, by the privilege of Jogaila, Vilnius was granted the Magdeburg rights ensuring the city’s self-government and right to build a town hall, the first mention of the Town Hall is as late as 1432, and it was referred to in its current location 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. It also housed the magistrate’s office, which resembled the present-day town council, headed by a ‘Vaitas’ – the head of the city who was responsible for the town’s economy, collecting taxes, treasury management, grain storage, and providing public notary services. In addition to presiding over the meetings of the magistrate, the Vaitas also heard cases, passed sentences, and imposed punishments. The basement of the Town Hall holds a terrible secret: it was a prison for the worst criminals who were sentenced to death. In those days, there were various executions, but the most infamous of them all – the death penalty – public hangings could be observed by the gallows erected in the Town Hall Square.

Brotherhoods, religious societies of the clergy and laity, began to emerge in Vilnius in the 15th  century and are a reliable indicator of the intensity of religious life at that time. Their aim was to promote as much as possible the Christian life of their members and to engage in certain religious or social activities. The first brotherhood known in Vilnius was established at St. Johns’ parish church on the eve of the planned coronation of the Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania in October 1430. The foundation of the Brotherhood was desired by the Vaitas of Vilnius and other citizens of Vilnius, but Bishop Matthias stated that the members of the Brotherhood would have to follow the rules and ritual procedures of the ‘Old Catholics’. The bishops came to meet the members of the brotherhood; those who were properly prepared to participate in the services and works of charity were granted a forty-day indulgence. These could be earned by praying for the living and departed members of the brotherhood by saying the Lord’s Prayer ten times and the same number of Hail Marys, or by donating one denarius. Brotherhoods were also founded in other churches, but in the mid-16th century, the Reformation wave caused most of the Brotherhoods to fade out or cease operating, and by the end of the 19th century, all the Brotherhoods had been suppressed.

In the 15th century, Vilnius was inhabited by pagan Lithuanians, Catholic Germans, and Orthodox Ruthenians. Due to the expansion of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Ruthenian community in Vilnius was huge, and the Ruthenian language was used when drafting official documents and the correspondence of rulers. Therefore, it is not surprising that if you could time-travel back to 15th-century Vilnius, you would see not only the towers of St. Johns’ Church in Vilnius, but also as many as 14 Orthodox houses of worship. Orthodox Christians have lived in Lithuania since the 13th century, but the first Orthodox churches were built during the reign of Algirdas. You can still admire the St. Paraskeva Orthodox Church and the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God today, although they have changed their appearance over time. At that time, communities practising different religions lived in distinct neighbourhoods. The locations allocated to Orthodox churches also marked the borders of the community – the Ruthenian city (Civitas Rutenica) occupied a large part of the city territory, stretching from the hill of the Upper Castle to the roads leading to the Ruthenian lands. The Ruthenians could be recognised by their distinctive dress and there were many bearded monks in their designated territory.

Who are the most famous Vilnius Ruthenians? In the 16th century, the Ruthenian printer Franciscus Skorina printed the first books in Vilnius, and the 16th and 17th centuries witnessed the emergence of noblemen of Ruthenian origin – the Chodkiewicz and Sapiega families are still well-known today.

The ruler could not live permanently in the capital, as he had to visit the very large domains of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and go to battle. Therefore, the arrival of the ruler and his entourage in the city was a real event. Traditionally, Jogaila would come to Vilnius to spend the winter holidays and meet Vytautas. He visited at least 25 times, mostly in early winter, and stayed from one day to several months. However, later rulers also liked to visit Vilnius with their relatives. A ruler’s appearance in the city was not without a solemn procession through the main streets towards the residence. Rulers usually came to Vilnius by the old road from Kraków, so when you saunter down Rūdnininkų, Didžioji, or Pilies Streets, you can imagine walking in the footsteps of Jogaila or Vytautas. This route was also taken by honourable guests of the city and state, and high officers – it served as a kind of highway of the time. These streets are no less important today: starting from Šventaragis Valley, the Palace of the Grand Dukes and the Cathedral, where the remains of Vytautas the Great can be observed, and passing the House of the Signatories, the Town Hall, the Palace of the Great Vilnius Seimas, and the Gate of Dawn, you will be able to get close to the various periods in the history of Vilnius, during which the present-day Vilnius city and Lithuania were shaped.

Would you call yourself a city dweller these days? In the 15th century, a city dweller meant a free resident, such as a craftsman or merchant – members of workshop cooperatives and guilds. In his letters, Gediminas invited craftsmen and merchants to come to Vilnius, which is why in the 15th century Vilnius was one of the largest cities in the region and its merchants and craftsmen were among the wealthiest. Trade with Antwerp, Nuremberg, Tallinn, Moscow, and Constantinople was extensive, and representatives of the church, the lord of the manor, noblemen, and city dwellers were among the most important buyers. However, newcomers were forbidden to trade with each other on the basis of the principle of stowage, which allowed local merchants to dictate purchase prices.

Which goods were in most demand by Vilnius residents? Salt was the most important commodity, while wine, fabrics, metals, glass, and paper were also on the list of popular items, and merchants from Lithuania exported forest materials, furs, wax, and, from the 16th century onwards – grain. Today, as you pass by the Didžioji g. 24, you will see the Merchants’ Guild building, where the goods were stored. Vilnius was also home to important craft workshops: goldsmiths, tailors, furriers, and mead-makers. Not only did they act as trade unions, they also sought to monopolise production.

Can you imagine that when you are strolling along the promenade of Vokiečių Street, you are actually walking where the houses once stood? This is one of the oldest streets in Vilnius, home to German-speaking merchants and craftsmen. 

The street is in close proximity to the Town Hall – the heart of the popular commercial and cultural space in the city. German Catholics built masonry Gothic-style churches, the oldest of which is St. Nicholas’ Church, still standing today. In fact, you could also find heaven and hell on Vokiečių Street near the Town Hall. ‘Heaven’ was a building where peaceful, kind, and very pious people lived, while the neighbours from hell occupied the property next door renowned for its debauched brawlers. 

After the Second World War, the entire eastern side of the street was lost, but some of the architecture was preserved – through one of the doorways, you can see the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Vilnius, which dates back to the 16th century. Müller’s house (Vokiečių g. 26) has also survived to this day; here, city residents were introduced to photography for the first time, and they could see a daguerreotype brought to Vilnius from Paris.

The first guild in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was that of the Vilnius goldsmiths; hardly surprising as dukes, courtiers, and clergymen received gifts from Masters of the Teutonic Order, so they were used to luxury goods. The demand for such goods only grew; members of the Goldsmiths’ Guild were the richest citizens of Vilnius, and often occupied positions of honour within local government. What did it take to become a member of the Guild? A goldsmith had to produce three items: a tankard, a seal with a helmet engraved on it, and a ring embedded with a precious gemstone, which were valued by the Vilnius Magistrate. Goldsmiths were also required to attend sacred services, otherwise they could be fined. The guild met in the building at Gaono g. 6, which is now the Romanian Embassy. Even today, you can see the creations of the goldsmiths of old one display at the Church Heritage Museum.