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Stelmužė is a village in Zarasai district municipality of Lithuania. It is right near the border to Latvia.
There is a wooden chapel built in 1650 not using saws or iron nails; it is the oldest wooden religious building in Lithuania. Stelmužė is also known for the Tower of Slaves (Lithuanian: Vergų bokštas), a rectangular building constructed of stone and bricks in the 18th century, used for imprisonment of serfs. It was restored and registered as a 17th century architectural cultural monument.
The village is famous for its Stelmužė Oak, the oldest in Lithuania and one of the oldest in Europe. The oak is about one and a half thousand years old. It is often called the tree that is "older than Lithuania itself." It has been through a long range of historical events, having had sacrifices by pagan priests conducted under it and a skeleton and rifle of a Napoleonic soldier found in its cavity.
It was nominated for Tree of the Year in 2017, receiving 12th place and 5,245 votes.
Gallery
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Stelmužė Oak
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Stelmužė church
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Stelmužė church belltower
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Stelmužė Tower of Slaves
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Stelmužė manor
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References
- Legendomis apipintas dvaras slepia itin žiaurią istoriją: bokšte kalino baudžiauninkus, juos mainė į šunis
- "Lietuvos metų medžiu išrinktas Stelmužės ąžuolas" [Stelmužė oak was chosen as the Lithuanian tree of the year]. Zarasų Rajono Savivaldybė (in Lithuanian). 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- "The Lithuanian Oak That Is Older Than Lithuania Itself". mokomesapie.lt. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- "Tree of the year". www.treeoftheyear.org. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- "Tree of the year". www.treeoftheyear.org. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
55°49′39″N 26°13′11″E / 55.82750°N 26.21972°E / 55.82750; 26.21972
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