History and Interesting Facts

On October 3^rd.King Casimir IV Jogailaitis of Poland and Elisabeth of Habsburg give birth to their second son, King Casimir, in the royal castle of Wawel in Kraków.

King Casimir, who lived a very pious and ascetic life, died of hectic illness on March 4^th. He was only 25 years old.

The first biography of Casimir, The Life of the Blessed Confessor Casimir, was published, and Pope Leo X began the process of canonisation (the recognition of the deceased as a Saint).

On November 7^th, Pope Clement VIII officially proclaimed Casimir a saint of Poland and Lithuania in his breve.

On May 10^th, the flag of St Casimir, consecrated by the Pope in Rome, was solemnly brought to Vilnius, and on May 12^th, the foundation stone of St Casimir's Church was laid.

St Casimir was proclaimed the first Heavenly Patron of Lithuania, and his remains were moved to a magnificent chapel in the Cathedral, specially built on the orders of Sigismund Vasa, where they remain today.
It is believed that with this transfer the story of the Kaziukas Fair begins. The Cathedral began to host the Feast of St Casimir. Curch Fair (ger. Kirchmesse) – the trade and entertainment that follows the church festivities, has always been an integral part of the feast.

Vilnius merchants gained the privilege of holding a larger, multi-day market, the most important fair of the year (ger. Jahrmarkt) in Cathedral Square. This was the beginning of the real Kaziukas Fair, which was attended not only by Vilnius merchants but also from other cities.

Russian authorities built a monument to Catherine II in the Cathedral Square, and the feast associated with the Catholic saint's worship became unacceptable to the Tsar's officials. The Fair was moved to Lukiškų Square.

After the second Soviet occupation of Lithuania and the beginning of the Soviet era, Kaziukas Fair was moved to collective farm market, popularly known as Dzeržinskis, now Kalvarijų Market.

The Kaziukas Fair has finally returned to the streets and squares of Vilnius Old Town. Traders' pavilions stretch along Gediminas Avenue and the streets surrounding Šventaragis Valley all the way to the Town Hall Square.