Labanoras
Encyclopedia
Labanoras is small town within the Labanoras Regional Park
in Lithuania
. It is situated on the Lake Labanoras and is surrounded by the Labanoras Forest, the largest forest in Lithuania. As a center of the regional park, the town attracts tourists. A hotel and restaurant was opened in the closed school building in 2003. According to the 2001 census, the town had 75 residents.
The settlement is known from 1373. In 1386, Grand Duke Jogaila
gifted Labanoras and other settlements to the newly established Diocese of Vilnius. In 1965 a hoard
of about 470 coins was found near the town cemetery. It contained Prague groschens minted by Charles IV
(1316–1378) and Wenceslaus
(1361–1419) as well as early coins from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
by Vytautas (1350–1430) and Casimir IV Jagiellon
(1427–1492). It is believed that the treasure was buried in 1470s. The first church was mentioned in 1522, folwark
in 1539, manor in 1568, parish school in 1781. The town had 196 residents in 1866, 443 in 1923, 264 in 1959, 186 in 1979.
A miraculous painting of Mother of Good was first mentioned during a canonical visitation
in 1655. A wooden church was built in 1820, but it burned down in December 2009. As of January 2011, no official report was released. Unofficially, accidental fire due to faulty electrical installation was ruled out leaving arson as the main suspect. It is believed that the church was robed of its over 30 valuable paintings (15 of them were state-protected monuments of art) and then burned to cover up the crime. During the clean up a hoard of 1017 coins (German pfennig
s, Russian kopek
s, Lithuanian centas
) was found under the burned altar. The reconstruction, financed by the government and private donations, is underway.
Labanoras Regional Park
Labanoras Regional Park, established in 1992, is located 80 kilometers northeast of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. Covering 553 hectares, it is the largest regional park in the country....
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. It is situated on the Lake Labanoras and is surrounded by the Labanoras Forest, the largest forest in Lithuania. As a center of the regional park, the town attracts tourists. A hotel and restaurant was opened in the closed school building in 2003. According to the 2001 census, the town had 75 residents.
The settlement is known from 1373. In 1386, Grand Duke Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
gifted Labanoras and other settlements to the newly established Diocese of Vilnius. In 1965 a hoard
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of about 470 coins was found near the town cemetery. It contained Prague groschens minted by Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
(1316–1378) and Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
(1361–1419) as well as early coins from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
by Vytautas (1350–1430) and Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
(1427–1492). It is believed that the treasure was buried in 1470s. The first church was mentioned in 1522, folwark
Folwark
Folwark is a Polish word for a primarily serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise , often very large. Folwarks were operated in the Crown of Poland from the 14th century and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 15th century, from the second half of the 16th century in the joint...
in 1539, manor in 1568, parish school in 1781. The town had 196 residents in 1866, 443 in 1923, 264 in 1959, 186 in 1979.
A miraculous painting of Mother of Good was first mentioned during a canonical visitation
Canonical Visitation
A canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view of maintaining faith and discipline, and of correcting abuses by the application of proper remedies.-Catholic usage:...
in 1655. A wooden church was built in 1820, but it burned down in December 2009. As of January 2011, no official report was released. Unofficially, accidental fire due to faulty electrical installation was ruled out leaving arson as the main suspect. It is believed that the church was robed of its over 30 valuable paintings (15 of them were state-protected monuments of art) and then burned to cover up the crime. During the clean up a hoard of 1017 coins (German pfennig
Pfennig
The Pfennig , plural Pfennige, is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....
s, Russian kopek
Kopek
Kopek or Köpek may refer to:*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ruble*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ukrainian hryvnia*Kopek , an Irish rock band*Sa'd al-Din Köpek , court administrator under Seljuq Sultans of Rum...
s, Lithuanian centas
Lithuanian litas
The Lithuanian litas is the currency of Lithuania. It is divided into 100 centų...
) was found under the burned altar. The reconstruction, financed by the government and private donations, is underway.