Location
State: Latvia
Region: Riga
County: Limbaži
Parish: Katvari
Other references to the location
At the Spriči homestead
Coordinates
lat=57.645, lon=24.8916666667
57° 38′ 42″ N, 24° 53′ 30″ E
Description
On site, when gathering information in the Sprinči homestead about the holy site, the proprietor, who married into the family, recalled that grandma really used to tell about some Swedish burial site located in the field behind the homestead. When calling Antra Ozola, daughter of the Spriči homestead’s proprietor (born at the beginning of 1960-ies), who also lives now in the Spriči but works in Aloja, she confirmed that grandma once really used to tell about the Swedish burial ground situated in the field behind Spriči, although A. Ozola knew nothing about any holy site or a linden clump featured in records. The Swedish burial ground was leveled off around 1970s during land reclamation. There were pits where various garbage was thrown into. It is said that in Spriči in ancient times they held Swedish prisoners of war. About 4 – 5 years ago, there were metal detector searchers walking along the Swedish burial ground, but the homestead’s dwellers did not allow them to perform their activities. The indicated site – the Swedish burial ground – situated now in a flat and a little bit corrugated field or meadow about 100 m NE of the homestead behind the vegetable garden and N of a cattle-shed – outwardly is not distinguished. Just now the site has been dug up by wild boars; in the dug up spots, no artifacts of an ancient site were found. By the ancient site, there is the Limbaži – Aloja highway; opposite the ancient site marked by large willows and other trees is the former and now unused overgrown highway. It is believed that the place called the Spriči Holy Site is a medieval burial ground ruined in modern times; the name “holy site”, probably, has been attributed in relation to probable existance of a former chapel (church) or believes in a chapel as a holy site.
Narrative
The holy site of the Spriči farmers’ homestead – the stone foundation. Swedish coins had been dug out. In the field, there is a small clump of old linden growing. ZA fondu vietvārdi.1958-1970. Recorded by A. Plaudis 1990.
Attraction
Unattractive
Availability
Easily accessible as it lies at the verge of the road in a flat field.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
None
Local info
None
Capacity
41 and more
Publicity
Unknown
Legal Status
Private
Comments
The place may be of interesant only to specialists.
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