Some cultural aspects of the Vilnius Court (with references to archaeological material)

At the beginning of the 13lh century the Lithuanian duke's court had chroniclers who fixed foreign and domestic political events; later the archives and a library were founded. Architects constructed luxurious and magnificent palaces, artists painted portraits of the dukes and frescoes in the halls, and poets created odes and praises. Alongside the political institution and elite economic unit, there existed a cultural center which influenced the state until the end of its existence, i.e. the middle of the 17,h century (1655 - 1661) when Vilnius and the Lower Castle were devastated by Moscovite troops. It is difficult to speak about the level of the sovereign's education and the cultural level of the court because of the lack of archaeological information. [...