Varniai

Varniai
City
Coat of arms
Varniai Location of Varniai
Coordinates: 55°44′0″N 22°22′0″E / 55.73333°N 22.36667°E / 55.73333; 22.36667Coordinates: 55°44′0″N 22°22′0″E / 55.73333°N 22.36667°E / 55.73333; 22.36667
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Samogitia
County	Telšiai County
Municipality	Telšiai district municipality
Eldership	Varniai eldership
Capital of	Varniai eldership
First mentioned	1314
Granted city rights	1950
Population (2005)
• Total	1,310
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

Varniai ( pronunciation , Samogitian: Varnē, Polish: Wornie, German: Medeniken), is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai.

Samogitian Diocese seat in Varniai

It was established in the 14th century, on the bank of the Varnelė River, near an important Samogitian castle. It was the center of Samogitian Catholic church: after the baptism of Samogitia, the Samogitian Bishop resided in the town. Around 1414–1416 the first church was built, and c. 1464 the first cathedral.

Varniai was the center of Samogitian episcopate until the middle of the 19th century, when authorities of the Russian Empire moved to it Kaunas.

With support of Merkelis Giedraitis, Mikalojus Daukša translated and made ready for publication Katechizmas, the first Lithuanian language book printed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

It was also residence of Motiejus Valančius.

Notable residents

• Boris Schatz
• Merkelis Giedraitis
• Mikalojus Daukša
• Motiejus Valančius

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Varniai.

• (in Lithuanian) Varniai – A Resourceful Renaissance Center of 16th Century Cultural and National Ideology
• (in Lithuanian) Park of Varniai and history of Varniai
• (in Lithuanian) Museum of Samogitian episcopate
• (in Lithuanian) Website of Varniai