Stelmužė,_Zarasai_district
Stelmužė is a village in Zarasai district municipality of Lithuania.
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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.[1]
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.[2] It is often called the tree that is "older than Lithuania itself."[3] 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.[4]
It was nominated for Tree of the Year in 2017, receiving 12th place and 5,245 votes.[5]
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