The Kretinga Manor Park Astronomy Calendar and Sundial
Coordinates: 55.896761 21.251055
Object address: Vilniaus street 20 (Park of Museum), Kretinga, Lithuania
Municipality: Kretinga district
The sundial and first ever astronomy calendar in the Baltic States were the thesis project of designer and architect Rita Gorodeckienė. The local craftsmen and folk artists created oakwood statues for the 12 months of the year during the 2001-2002 Woodcarvers Creative Camp.
The calendar incorporates stones, which accurately indicate the seasons, holidays, and important anniversaries as well as 13 oakwood statues. A 6-metre oakwood statue, or more specifically, the sundial obelisk, stands on a stone podium in the centre of the entire composition. There is a hole in one of its sides. A sun and a Circle of Rėda are placed on the topmost point of the obelisk.
The calendar shows the most significant holidays and important dates. If one stands at a stone that signifies a holiday, the symbols (i.e. statues) of that holiday will be seen on the left and on the right.
The sundial works similarly to regular sundials: at noon, the obelisk casts a shadow around a specific location on the ground, indicating a symbol, which signifies a holiday or other occasion. The main axis, which is facing the north and the south, crosses the central bar. Stones are placed on the meridian line, each of which is engraved with a rune indicating the date of a specific holiday. At 12:43 PM (local time), the shadow of the main bar matches the meridian line. Depending on the time of the year, the sun shines through the opening in the obelisk and lights up a stone, marking a specific holiday of the season. The shadow of the bar changes direction in accordance with the sun and casts a shadow over stones that indicate the hour of the day (in Roman numerals).
In 1610, Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius built the first sundial in the courtyard of the Kretinga Bernardine Monastery. The base is the only part of the sundial that still remains. The second sundial was built near an alleyway of chestnuts in the Kretinga Manor Park in 2002. The purpose of the structure is to revitalise and promote Lithuanian traditions, to make the region and its culture more colourful, and to expand the tourist route with new landmarks.
Source: Kretingos enciklopedija