The coat of arms was granted to Vilnius in 1330. Until the late 14th century when Lithuania was still a pagan country, Vilnius’ coat of arms portrayed an ancient fairytale giant Alkis crossing the river and carrying his wife Janterytė on his shoulders. The present Vilnius’ coat of arms portrays St Cristopher walking in the water and carrying baby Jesus on his shoulders.
The history of Vilnius dates back to prehistoric times. Already in the first millennium BC there were settlements in the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia Rivers. In 10-13th centuries there was a wooden castle on the hill. 14th century saw the wooden castle replaced by one built of stone and called the Higher Castle. At the foot of the hill called Šventaragis Valley (present-day Cathedral Square), there was a pagan temple. Later a Christian cathedral was constructed in its place.
The history of the city of Vilnius is reflected culturally and by the trends and styles of various Western European civilizations and ethnic social structures. Pagan cult sites, Old Believers' Orthodox churches, Catholic Baroque, traces of Jewish past etc. all bear witness to a former multicultural tradition that is exemplary in Eastern Europe. Integration and cultural exchange occurring in Europe and the world today has lead to the growing importance of cities. In modern times, the city is not a reflection of just one particular nation's history and culture, striving for its original image and authenticity. The capital city was first mentioned in written documents in the 12th century. It grew continuously the next several centuries as political, economic, and social life developed, exemplified by statutes from the 16th -19th centuries. A university was founded in 1579, the first in the Duchy of Lithuania. It soon became an important scientific and cultural centre in Europe. Rapidly developing Vilnius remained open to foreigners from East and West eventually leading to strong Polish, Russian, Jewish, German, Karaite etc. communities. Each group in its own way contributed to the city's formation and Vilnius at the time flourished in crafts, trade, and science. By the beginning of the 19th century, Vilnius was already the third biggest city in East Europe preceded by only Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Vilnius Old City is one of the largest in Eastern Europe at 360 ha. and contains an abundant heritage of valuable historic and cultural monuments. Vilnius was included in UNESCO.
The some 1.5 thousand buildings in the Old City are relics of various architectural periods found in Europe. Although Vilnius is considered a baroque city, buildings in the Gothic, Renaissance, and Jugend styles are to be found.
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