Piltene

Piltene stands on the Venta in Courland, where its castle became a seat of the bishops of Courland. Their scattered lands formed an ecclesiastical territory distinct from the neighbouring possessions of the Livonian Order. The bishopric's fate changed during the wars that broke apart the old Livonian Confederation.

In 1560 its lands were sold to the Danish king, who assigned them to his brother Magnus. After Magnus died, Denmark sold the territory to Poland–Lithuania in 1585, giving the Commonwealth a foothold in the former bishopric. The district of Piltene retained a distinct history even as it became closely associated with the dukes of Courland. Swedish and Russian armies occupied it during the Great Northern War; in 1795 its assembly accepted incorporation into the Russian Empire.