Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Vilnius Cathedral 1

Vilniaus arkikatedra bazilika

Having taken various guises since it was first built as a
Christian church on the site of a pagan temple in 1251,
Vilnius Cathedral today largely dates from the late
18th century. The young architect, Laurynas Stuoka-
Gucevičius, brought the fashionable French Classicist
style to Baroque Vilnius; his idea for the cathedral
exterior and interior being a visual re-creation of a Greek
temple. Vilnius Cathedral was closed by the Soviets in
1950 and initially mooted for use as a garage for truck
repairs. In 1956, however, it opened as a picture gallery.
It was eventually returned to the Catholic Church in 1988
and reconsecrated in 1989, a year
before independence was declared.

48 NORTH EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp68–9

STAR FEATURES

. St Casimir’s Chapel
. Crypt

Wall Painting of

the Crucifixion

The oldest surviving fresco

in Lithuania, dating from

the 14th century, can be

found in the crypt. It was

discovered in 1985.

Statue of Luke, the Evangelist

Of the statues of the Four Evangelists

on the southern façade, the one of

Luke’s appears with a bull, a symbol

of service and sacrifice.

Valavičius Chapel

Members of the Valavičius

family were governors and

bishops of Vilnius. Their

lavish chapel was built

in the early 17th century.

Main

entrance

Stucco Sculpture
This sculpture
depicting a bird
sacrifice can be
seen on the
tym panum of
the façade.

Statue of

St Helena