Lida Castle history
The Grand Duke of the Great Lithuanian Principality Gedymin ordered in 1323
the foundations of a stone castle in Lida (Grodno region) to strengthen
the defense of his lands from the crusaders' assaults.
The construction works continued for five years, the north-western tower of
the castle was built at the same time together with the stone walls. The other tower, the
south-eastern one, was erected for the defense of its stone walls and the town of Lida,
sometime during the 14th or 15th centuries.
In its plan, the walls of the Lida castle look like a
trapezium. In the second half of the 14th century the castle walls repeatedly occured in the
center of the fights between Yagaibo and Vitovt for the Grand Duke's throne.
The crusaders took advantage of those fights, and in 1392, Vitovt brought
detachments of crusaders with Commanders Ian Rumpenheim and Conrad of Liechtenstein in charge
of the Lida castle walls. They have plundered the town and besieged the castle
which was surrended to them by th Duke Dmitri Karybut without fight.
When in 1394 crusader detachments assaulted again, the people of Lida set
the town on fire and hid in the castle, and from there they defended it. It was captured only
during the war of Russia between 1654-1667.
The Lida
Castle was destroyed in 1659 but now it was restored and it is available to
visit.
Lida Castle Map&Location
Get help with directions to Castle of Lida, Lida, Hrodna Province, Belarus,
using this map provided bellow.
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