Charenza

Charenza, also Karentia or Karenz, later also Gharense, was a medieval Slavic burgwall on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea.

The name Charenza (also spelt Karentia or Karenz) may be derived from an old personal name, Chareta, or from the Rani word for "root", Koreta.

Charenza was not only the administrative hub of the Rani tribe, but also a religious centre with the temples of Rugievit, Porevit and Porenut.

In 1180, the administrative centre of the Principality of Rugia was moved to Rugard (today Bergen auf Rügen, just a few kilometres to the southeast).

When the Danish king raised money to build 12 churches on Rügen, one of them was the capelle nostre in Charenz, which in 1232 was granted the village of Gagern as a fief.