vilnius
T
heEuropeanCapitalofCultureisacity
designatedbytheEuropeanUnionfora
periodofoneyearduringwhichitisgivena
Oppositepage:St.StanislausCathedralanditsbelltowerin
chancetoshowcaseitsculturallifeand
thecentreofVilnius.(AndrewQuested)Thispage:topleft,
development.Anumberofcitieshaveused
Lithuaniannational costume (RobertoPetagna-
theCityofCultureyeartotransformtheir
www.flickr.com/photos/impala74)Right,Vilniusstreetatnight.
culturalbaseand,insodoing,thewayin
(PeterGutierrez-www.flickr.com/photos/petergutierrez)Inset:
TheThreeMuses,representingDrama,TragedyandComedyon
whichtheyareviewedinternationally.
the facade ofThe National DramaTheatre.(ShawnFuller)
Vilnius,acosmopolitancitywithadiverse
Middle:Bubblesinthepark.(LaimaDrukneryte)Vilniusat
architectureandover40churches,isthe dawn.(RamūnasMonkeviĉius)TrakaiCastle,restored14th
firstofthe‘new’EUmemberstatestobe
centurycastlenearVilnius.(MaureenPierre)Eveningon
KalvarijuStreetinthe Ŝnipiŝkesdistrict.(MonicaGerds)
Sunsetwithstreetlamps.(JaimeSilva)
chosenasaCapitalofCulture.Thiswillbea mentionedinwrittensourcesin1323,when
veryspecialyearnotonlyforVilniusbutalso theLettersofGrandDukeGediminaswere
fortherestofthecountryasLithuaniaalso senttoGermancitiesinvitingGermansand
celebratesitsmillenniumanniversaryin membersoftheJewishcommunitytosettle
2009.(Lithuaniawasfirstmentionedinthe inthecapitalcity.Theseletterscontainthe
monasticannalsof1009). firstunambiguousreferencetoVilniusas
Its2009NewYear’sEvecelebration thecapital.
markingtheeventfeaturedalightshowsaid Likemostmedievaltowns,Vilniuswas
tobe“visiblefromouterspace.”Duringthe developedarounditsTownHall.Themain
yeartherewillbemanyspecialeventssuch artery,PiliesStreet,linkstheRoyalPalace
asEuropeanCafé,ArtinUnusualPlaces,the withtheTownHall.Otherstreetsmeander
VilniusBookFairandlotsofotherevents throughthepalacesoffeudallordsand
involvingtheatres,concerts,seminarsand landlords,churches,shopsandcraftsmen’s
thearts. workrooms.Narrow,curvedstreetsand
The‘LetThereBeNight’eventcelebrating intimatecourtyardsdevelopedwiththe
Midsummer(20-21June)willseeVilnius radiallayoutofmedievalVilnius.
stayupallnightasitisentertainedwith VilniusOldTown,thehistoricalcentreof
musicconcerts,streettheatreandopen-air Vilnius,isoneofthelargestinEuropewith
filmstomarkthelongestdayoftheyear. themostvaluablehistoricandculturalsites
Thenameofthecityisthoughttohave beingconcentratedhere.The1500orso
originatedfromtheVilniaRiverandwasfirst buildingsintheoldtownwerebuiltover
the north magazine 29
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