Country Lithuania County Telšiai County Capital of Varniai eldership Local time Saturday 4:17 PM | Ethnographic region Samogitia Eldership Varniai eldership First mentioned 1314 Population 1,310 (2005) | |
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Weather 18°C, Wind S at 18 km/h, 65% Humidity Municipality Telšiai District Municipality | ||
Varniai ( pronunciation , Samogitian: Varnē, Polish: Wornie), is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai.
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Map of Varniai, Lithuania
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.