Dubingiai Castle

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Dubingiai Castle
Dubingiai, Lithuania
Dubingiai Castle remains in the island, 1870 drawing by Napoleon Orda
Type	Renaissance
Built	1413 early 16th century
In use
Demolished	late 17th century - early 20th century
Current condition	foundations survive

Dubingiai Castle was a residential castle in Dubingiai, Molėtai district, Lithuania.

The first masonry castle was constructed by Vytautas in 1412-1413, in the island of the Lake Asveja, which is now a peninsula in order to secure the capital Vilnius from attacks from Livonia. No accounts concerning the architecture of the Vytautas' castle have survived. It was acquired by Radvilos family before 1508. They have constructed a new palace in the Renaissance style in the first half of the 16th century. Barbara Radziwiłł has spent 5 months in the castle after her marriage with Sigismund Augustus in 1547. Dubingiai Castle has been the main seat of Biržai-Dubingiai line of Radvilos family until the second half of the 17th century, when it was transferred to the Biržai Castle. The neglected castle and church gradually fell into ruins. At present only foundations and some cellars of the castle and the church are preserved.

The masonry Calvinist Church of the Holy Spirit was built near the castle by Janusz Radziwiłł before 1620 in the Renaissance style and was intended to be the mausoleum of the Radvilos family. The most prominent members of the family have been interred there, including Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł (1565) and his wife Elżbieta Szydłowiecka (1562), Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł (1584) and Janusz Radziwiłł (1620). Their remains were discovered during the archaeological research in 2004.