Alanta

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Alanta
nickname = Alunta
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
leader_title =
postal_code_type =


map_caption = Location of Alanta
image_shield =


image_caption =St. Jacob's church in Alanta

pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location of Alanta
pushpin_mapsize =
latd=55|latm=21|lats=|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=17|longs=|longEW=E

subdivision_type =Country
subdivision_name =LTU
subdivision_type1 =Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1 =Aukštaitija
subdivision_type2 =County
subdivision_name2 =Utena County
subdivision_type3 =Municipality
subdivision_name3 =Molėtai district municipality
subdivision_type4 =Elderate
subdivision_name4 =Alanta elderate

subdivision_type6 =Seat of
subdivision_name6 =Alanta elderate
established_date =1436
established_title =First mentioned
established_date2 =
population_total = 450
population_as_of = 2001
population_blank1 =

Alanta (dialectal Aukštaitian name "Alunta") is a small town in Molėtai district municipality, Lithuania. It is the administrative seat of the Alanta Elderate. According to a census in 2001, Alanta had 464 residents. It is situated at the crossing of two roads: Molėtai–Anykščiai and Utena–Alanta–Ukmergė. The town's St. Jacob's church was built in 1909.

Etymology of the name

The name of the town is derived from the Alanta River, tributary of Virinta. The name of the river is derived from an ancient Lithuanian verb "alėti", which means 'to stream merrily' or 'to run'.

History

In 1436, Sigismund Kestutaitis granted Alanta to Kristinas Astikas to commend him for his aid in defeating Švitrigaila in the Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435). In the 16th century, the town's Catholic church was built, and in 1581 the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory gifted Alanta to Gaspar Bekesy ( _lt. Kasparas Bekešas), a Hungarian general. After 1598 the town belonged to Radziwiłł family and from 1828 until the World War I it belonged to the Pamarnacki family. From the 18th century to the Lithuanian revolt in 1863 Alanta had a parish school.

Alanta suffered heavily from many wars, including Napoleon's invasion of the Russian Empire, World War I and World War II, because of its location on the crossing of two important roads.

Palace of Alanta estate

The palace of the estate, which houses a library and an ethnographic museum, has been renovated and its park trimmed. The founder of the Alanta library, Elvyra Satkūnaitė, was named "The best librarian of Lithuania" in 1996.

External links

* [http://www.alunta.lt Website of Alanta]
* [http://www.heritage.lt/restauravimas/utenos_aps/alantos_dvaras.htm The estate of Alanta before renovation]