July 3-4, festival “Castle day” at Raudondvaris Manor!

Date: 03. July 2021 - 04. July 2021

Time: All Day

Raudondvaris, Lithuania

This year on July 3-4, we kindly invite all to attend historic festival “Castle day” at Raudondvaris Manor. The festival will be thematic historic event representing culture heritage and spreading knowledge of European manors at regional, national and international level. The “Castle day” will represent times from middle ages, renaissance to 19th century and nowadays. Visitors will be able to learn about different lifestyles of nobility and townsfolk during the different times. Additionally, they will participate in knights’ fights, medieval and renaissance dances, crafts fair and much more.

The festival will encourage visitors to leave viewer’s position, take action and be creative in artisans’ workshops, medieval games. The educators from Bauska Castle Museum will bring the lectures about ”Lighting in renaissance castle” and ”Fortification systems, and weapons in 15th -17th century”. Moreover, those who are interested in gastronomy will be welcomed in manor’s kitchen to see close how cook masters prepare the delicious meals.

Raudondvaris Manor’s history recalls one of the lasts owners Count Benedykt Henryk Tyzskiewicz, who was passionate music lover; therefore, manor had its orchestra to entertain count itself and his guests. There was even theater troupe and all kinds of foreign artists were constant visitors in the manor. The manor’s cultural life at that time reached its peak. To continue this tradition nowadays the festival also invited various artists to perform during the events. Thematic groups of artists and artisans from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Sakartvelo will bring their works and performances that represent the crafts and arts developed in Europe manors and castles. The Kaunas State musical theater, ”Medieval messengers” fire show artists, rock band ”Thundertale”, ballet dancers from Poland ”Cracovia Danza Ballet” will present unforgettable evening show for the festival’s visitors.

Day program July 3-4:

12:00 | The beginning of the festival

12:00–18:00 | Crafts and trade fair

13:00–17:00 | Educations and excursions

15:00–16:00 | Knights’ fights

12:00–18:00 | Entertainment for children

Evening program July 3-4:

July 3, 19:00 Opera ”Radvila Perkūnas” (J. Karnavičius)

The period reflected in the opera libretto and the love story created in the whirlwind of historical events, interpreted by contemporary artists and modern theatrical means, are perfect for commemorating the day of the state. The essence of the plot is that the two confronting relatives of Lithuanian nobles – Radvila and Chodkevičiai – are able to reject and unite their different religious beliefs and property interests in the name of Homeland Welfare and Freedom, against the background of foreign invasion.

Performers: Ž. Galinis, M. Zimkus, G. Pečkytė, R. Preikšaitė, R. Baranauskas, K. Alčauskis, E. Bavikinas, P. Padleckis, A. Apšega, J. Lamauskas, R. Urbietis, M. Arutiunova, I. Vaznelytė, G. Maciulevičius, D. Vėbra and theater choir. Conductor Jonas Janulevičius.

July 4, 19:00 Cracovia Danza Ballet ”Queen Bona’s Masquerade”

Staging and Choreography: Romana Agnel

Original choreographies: Fabritio Caroso, Cesare Negri

Costumes: Monika Polak-Luścińska

Masks: Monika Polak-Luścińska, Maciej Luściński

Inspired by records of Polish court customs at the reign of the last Jagiellons, the Cracovia Danza Ballet’s performance is a vivid illustration of court choreographies of the time. In Poland a fashion for masquerades and Italian court entertainments was initiated by Queen Bona Sforza. Sporting rich Renaissance costumes and stylized masks, dancers transport the audience into the world of the Renaissance carnival, where fantasy, love and court intrigues await. The Ball is also a pretext to present characters of the period: queen Bona and the court jester Stańczyk, as well as numerous courtiers of Polish and Italian descent.

July 4, 20:30 ”Medieval messengers’ fire show” and rock band ”Thundertale” concert

The unique theatrical fire show telling the story about never-ending fight between darkness and light. The show is enriched with performers dressed in flaming costumes and original decorations, filled with pyrotechnic effects. To create even greater impression of the fire show, the rockers ”Thundertale” will shake the stage with their powerful voices and electric guitar sounds.

The event is organized by the project „Historic road: Raudondvaris-Bauska (LLI-498 HRRB).

Project partners:

• PI ”Raudondvaris Manor”: raudondvariodvaras.lt
• Kaunas District Municipality: krs.lt
• Bauska Municipality: bauska.lv
• Bauska Castle Museum: bauskaspils.lv