Vilnius does not exist under that name on 1 January 1200: the name first appears in Gediminas's letters of 1323.
What stood there is a fortified hill (the later Castle or Gediminas Hill) above the meeting of the Vilnia and the Neris, with a wooden castle that excavation dates from about the 10th century, and wooden buildings on the low ground at its foot where the Lower Castle will stand. Stone walls on the hill and in the lower castle are 13th- and 14th-century work. The Hill of Three Crosses (the Crooked Castle) and the cathedral site have no proven 1200 buildings.
Who holds it
- Title
- the dukes and elders of the land
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
the dukes of the Land of Lithuania (names not pinned)
Lord in 1200
the dukes of the Land of Lithuania (names not pinned)
How things stand that morning
A Lithuanian hillfort and settlement of Lithuania proper; who held it is not pinned.
Charter
none: a hillfort under the dukes and elders of its land, with no written privileges
Council
the assembly of the land's leading men; no town institutions
Communities
local people only; no foreign merchants recorded
Fairs and markets
none recorded
Militia
the men of the surrounding farms, who take refuge in the fort in war
Walls and castle
A timber castle on the hilltop with earth ramparts; wooden buildings below. No stone yet in 1200 (stone walls are dated from about the 13th century).
Trade and crafts
smiths, potters and bone-workers at the foot of the hill; local exchange (not pinned in detail)
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Archaeology only; the place is not named before 1323.
Primary sources for Lithuanians
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Chronicle of Novgorod (kept year by year; the Synodal manuscript written in the 13th and 14th centuries). Novgorod's own record, kept at St Sophia. Read online
- The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.