Publications

This is a book presenting, in Lithuanian, Italian and English, “La Gara” (The Competition), an example of the rare tourney opera genre, that was created in 1652 by the famous Italian diplomat and priest Michele Bianchi, going by the pseudonym Alberto Vimina, which was premiered at a theatre in Vienna in the presence of Ferdinand III. Facsimile copies of the libretto are given in Italian and German, along with the authentic scene descriptions. Philologist Birutė Žindžiūtė-Michelini prepared the Lithuanian translation of the Italian original. Professor Guido Michelini of Parma University wrote the contextual introduction that is featured here in Lithuanian, Italian and English. The foreword is by the well-known Lithuanian theatre director Eimuntas Nekrošius.

This scholarly monograph by the long-time professor of history at Vilnius University’s History Department, Dr. habil. Mečislovas Jučas, outlines the major historical features of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Lithuanian state protected the nation against foreign enemies, created a legal and administrative infrastructure, protected the Roman Catholic faith, watched over the economy and culture, and provided a home for the Lithuanian people. The most important aim of this book is to show how the old Lithuanian state came into being, how it flourished, how it later grew weaker and became diminished, and finally was destroyed by foreign powers. The book is based on the professor’s lectures at Vilnius University, but it also takes into account recent scholarly research, and attempts to look at many questions in a new and original way. The greatest attention is paid to various aspects of state development.