- Aglona
Aglona is a village in
Preiļi District ,Latvia . It is located 40 kilometers northeast of the city ofDaugavpils . Aglona is famous inLatvia and beyond for its basilica — the most important Catholic church in the country — which was once visited byPope John Paul II , and which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year on the day of theAssumption of Mary (15th August).Located on the narrow strip of land between the lakes
Cirišs andEgles , the present-day village is the result of merger of three settlements: Aglona,Somerseta andJaunciems . The scenic beauty of the surrounding area attracts many visitors every summer. The nearby Sacrifice Island ( _lv. Upursala), Devil's Lake ( _lv. Velnezers), and the Madelanu Castle Mound are among the most beautiful places in Latvia. The surroundingpine forests have suffered from excessive logging in recent years, significantly damaging their once pristine quality. Traditionally, many families fromRussia spend their summers in countryside near Aglona.In 1980 the Church celebrated its 200th anniversary and was officially given the status of a
Basilica byPope John Paul II . In1986 it was the site of celebration of the 800th anniversary ofChristianity in Latvia . A major renovation of theBasilica and expansion of the church grounds was begun in1992 in preparation for the pope's visit. In September 1993Pope John Paul II visited the Shrine and over 300,000 pilgrims assembled at this time.External links
* [http://www.hood.edu/academics/html/latgale/aglona_detail.shtml Aglona in detail] at [http://www.hood.edu/academics/html/latgale/index.shtml Latgale Research Center]
* [http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/latvia/latvia.htm Cathedral of Aglona]
* [http://www.hotline.lv/aglona/ Aglyunas Zvaneņš] (catholic weekly in Latgalian)
* [http://www.visitaglona.lv visitAglona] Tourism website about Aglona and Latgale (a little bit)ee also
*
List of cities in Latvia
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.