VILNA, the capital of the above government, on the Vilnia at its confluence with the Vileika, 415 miles S.W. of St Petersburg. It is surrounded with walls, and built after the ancient fashion, with narrow and crooked streets; but it has still some fine palaces of the noble families who formerly resided here. That of the Jagellons, now in ruins, stands on the top of a hill called the Castle Hill. Vilna has thirty-five Roman Catholic churches, the most remarkable of which are the cathedral, the beautiful church of St Kasimir, and the splendid one of St Peter; three Greek churches, a Lutheran and a Calvinistic church, several synagogues, and a mosque. The University of Vilna, founded in 1570, was suppressed in 1832, and its library of 200,000 volumes removed to the capital; but there are still here a medical and surgical academy, and other educational institutions. There are also a town-hall, government palace, library, museum, and several convents and hospitals. A few manufactures are carried on; and there is an important trade, much-frequented fairs being held here annually. Pop. 45,581, about half of whom are Jews, and a considerable proportion Tartars.