Kandava

Kandava
Town
Street in Kandava
Coat of arms
Kandava Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 57°2′N 22°45′E / 57.033°N 22.750°E / 57.033; 22.750Coordinates: 57°2′N 22°45′E / 57.033°N 22.750°E / 57.033; 22.750
Country	Latvia
District	Kandava municipality
Town rights	1917
Population
• Total	4,029
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	LV-3120
Calling code	+371 631
Number of city council members	11

Kandava ( pronunciation ; German: Kandau; Livonian: Kāndav) is a town in Latvia.

Territory of the modern Kandava was inhabited by Finnic tribes until 10th century when Curonian expansion to the north started. Settlement grew around Kandava hillfort which was important centre in the curonian land of Vanema. As a settlement (villa Candowe), it is first mentioned in 1230 in a peace treaty between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, citizens of Riga and the Curonian residents of the Abava valley. Local residents kept their lands but was forced to accept christianity, pay annual tribute and participate in crusading campaigns against pagans. However after several uprisings new treaty was signed between Livonian Order and Bishopric of Courland in 1253 and lands of the Vanema was partitioned. Its southern portion including Kandava became property of Livonian Order.

A military castle was built around 1257, but it was gradually dismantled over the years and now only its foundations can be seen in a town park. The oldest remaining structure is a guard tower built in 1334 and later used for gunpowder storage. In 1312 Kandava castle became residence of the vogt and administrative centre of the former land of Vanema. In the 16th century there is church, school and tavern mentioned in the Kandava.