St. Michael Church
This is the only complex of renaissance buildings in Vilnius and it fits splendidly with the gothic St. Anne's and Bernardine Churches located next to it. The interior of the church is very rich and at the same time very solemn. Its high altar is in the late renaissance style, made from black, red, brown, and dark green marble, and decorated with the white alabaster while the side altars are in the rococo style. The tombstone of Leonas Sapiega and both his wives is located near the marble high altar. This is the biggest memorial structure in Lithuania having the features of both baroque and mannerism. Since 1972 the Museum of Architecture has been operating in the church. The freestanding baroque style bell tower was built at the beginning of the 18th century. On the top of it is an iron weathervane depicting the Archangel Michael treading on the devil.
St. John's Church
Jogaila began to build
Sts. Johns' Church as the first centre of the Catholicism immediately
after Lithuania's conversion to Christianity (1387 - 1426 m.). At first,
it was in the gothic style, elements of which style are still evident
in its inner space. In 1571, the church was taken over by the Jesuits
and it has been a part of the University complex since that time. It was
one of the most beautiful churches in Lithuania . This church is one of
the witnesses of Lithuania's famous past: the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Steponas Batoras, Zigmantas III, Vladislovas IV, and Jonas Kazimieras
as well as the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, were received in state there.
The architecture of the building is extraordinarily impressive, i.e. the
baroque style fasade, which forms a symmetrical composition, and the sharp
wavy forms that are reminiscent of a huge organ. The tympanum of the church's
late baroque style rear fasade is also composed of very plastic forms.
The Sts. Johns' church is especially charming on a sunny day. Vilnius
has no other building where the play of baroque shadows is so perfect.
St. Catherine's Church and the Benedictine Nunnery
Benedictine nuns
arrived in Vilnius in 1622 and built a wooden church and nunnery, which
was burned down by the Russians in 1655. In 1703, a stone church was rebuilt
under the name of St. Catharine. However, after acquiring its present
appearance after a reconstruction made during 1741 - 1773 by the architect,
J. K. Glaubitz, the church was damaged in 1812 and again during World
War II, but was restored again afterwards.
Now the building is in the baroque style with the rococo-style decorations.
The fasade is decorated with two beautiful rococo-style towers. The church
has a single nave with nine ornate late baroque altars and a pulpit. The
rococo-style Chapel of the Providence of God was built at the beginning
of the 18th century. The church is currently under restoration. The monastery's
buildings date back to the 16th - 19th centuries. They are distinguished
by an unusually complicated designs.
VILNIUS
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