In the first century BC, sedentary settlers began to settle at the foot of the Skroblis (Pilalė) mound on the right bank of the Jura River. This place is considered to be the beginning of the history of Rietavas. Together with the castle mounds of Pajūris, Kvėdarna, Laukuva, Tverai, Gandinga and other castle mounds of the surrounding area, the castle mound formed the first line of defence against the Crusaders as they were pushing their way into Samogitia. By that time Rietavas had already become an important administrative centre. In 1253, the name of Rietavas was first mentioned in the documents of the Bishop of Courland and the Livonian Order. In the 15th century, when Pilale lost its defensive significance, most of the inhabitants of Papilė moved to the present-day territory of Rietavas, where important trade routes to Gandinga, Kvėdarna, Tverai, Medininkai (Varniai), Raseiniai and Klaipėda crossed. Another part of the Papilė population eventually formed the village of Skroblė. During the Soviet era, when gravel was excavated from the Skroblė mound for road repairs, irreparable damage was done to this unique monument of Rietavas history. During the land reclamation works, the homesteads of Skroblė and the surrounding villages were wiped off the ground. It was only in 2000, after the restoration of the Rietavas Municipality, that the preservation and maintenance of the mound was started. Thanks to the care of the Rietavas municipality, the negligible brushwood was cleared and the outline of the hill was uncovered.
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