This material is published as part of the
Comenius school partnership project
“Listening to the voices of churches
and mosques from Western to Eastern
Europe” in which Radviliškio dailės
mokykla is involved.
This project has been funded with sup-
port from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only
of the author, and the Commission can-
not be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information
contained therein.
Comenius Project Listening to the voices of churches and mosques from Western to Eastern Europe
It is thought that in pagan times this was the location
of an altar, an eternal fire, or even a temple to
Perkūnas. King Mindaugas built the original
cathedral in 1251 after his conversion to Christianity.
In the long course of history it has been rebuilt
several times. As a result, gothic, renaissance, and
baroque styles are reflected in its architectural
history. As reconstructed by Laurynas Stuoka
Gucevičius in 1783, the Cathedral is a grandiose,
harmonious and monumental building of the
classicism style, with 11 lateral chapels, a sacristy,
north and south side entrances and a portico at the
western end. The building is rectangular and of
symmetrical composition. The bell tower is 52
metres high and free-standing in front of the church.
The bell tower stands on the remains of the
fortifications of the Lower Castle. Radviliškio dailės mokykla,
Lithuania
Vilnius’ Cathedral
St. Casimir Chapel of art connoisseurs of
Vilnius Cathedral is called a beautiful ring jeweler
and St. Casimir Chapel - the jewel piece of jewelry.
T h i s ch ap e l i s o ne o f t h e mo s t
valuable Lithuanian Baroque masterpieces.
St. Casimir is saint patron sof Lithuanian was born
in the 17th century to whom this fair was dedicated
to in the 19th century. It is one other most
remarkable calendar festivals with deep traditions,
each time presenting ingenious handworks, and
having no rivals in the surrounding areas.
An other important part of the Cathedral is its
catacombs. The Cathedral of Vilnius is the main
Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. It is the
heart of Lithuania's Catholic spiritual life.
The great crypt was the final resting place for grand
dukes, archbishops, noblemen and their families.
There are about 20 rooms under the floor of the
naves and chapels. Some of these, including the one
holding the remains of Grand Duke Vytautas, have
yet to be discovered.
During the restoration of the Cathedral, the very first
floor, laid in the days of Mindaugas, was found in
addition to the remains of the cathedral built in 1387,
the altars of a pagan temple, and other archaeological
finds. A fresco dated to the end of the 14th century,
the oldest known fresco in Lithuania, was found on
the wall of one of the underground chapels. The
chapel contains a unique 18th century goblet-shaped
pulpit.
The interior of the Cathedral is of a great artistic
value. More than 40 artworks from the 16-19th
centuries, both frescoes and paintings decorate the
walls of the Cathedral. A museum dedicated to the
history of the building from the pagan time till
nowadays is located in the Cathedral's catacombs.
At the exhibition different archeological finds and
the altars of a pagan temple are presented.
Casimir Chapel is one of the most beautiful
examples of the early Baroque in Vilnius. It was
constructed in 1623-1636 according to the order of
the Grand Duke and King Sigismund Vasa, who
wanted to have a chapel for the patron saint of
Lithuania in the Cathedral. The palace architect
and painter Constantino Tencallo used sandstone
from Sweden, black, white and brown marble from
Italy and the Carpathian Mountains for decoration
works.
Eight wooden statues, covered with silver, of the
rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland
and members of their families, dating back to the
middle of the 17th century, stand in niches in the
walls covered with scenes from St. Casimir's life
a n d a l l e g o r i c a l c o m p o s i t i o n s .
Like many historic building the Cathedral has its
mystery and doesn't want to disclose it. Many
people believe in the evil spell Valaviciai Chapel
cast on the researchers. There is a Latin inscription
on the facade of the Valaviciai Chapel "Violator
operis infelix esto" (Those who desecrate this
creation will be unhappy).