The Cathedral of St. Stanislav and St. Vladislav (Vilnius, Lithuania) is not only the main tourist attraction of the city, but also the main Roman Catholic church in the whole country. It is located at the foot of Castle Hill, on top of which the tower of Gediminas rises . It is simply impossible to visit the capital of Lithuania and not see the cathedral, even if its visit is not included in your plans. All roads of the old part of the city lead to the Cathedral Square. What is the cathedral so famous for, to whom is it dedicated? What must be seen when entering these magnificent arches? We will talk about this in our article.
Basilica status: what does it mean?
First, let’s clarify the question of why the cathedral of St. Stanislav and St. Vladislav is so important for believers in Vilnius and all of Lithuania. Since 1922, the temple was given the status of a basilica. This word comes from the Greek "Vasileus" -the emperor, the king. The title of a basilica for churches is awarded by the Pope himself to emphasize the peculiarity of the church. And the word “cathedral” means that the church is the main one in the city.
What is so special about the cathedral of Saints Stanislav and Vladislav that such high ranks are awarded to him? Firstly, he is the oldest in the country. Secondly, the coronations of the monarchs of Great Lithuania took place in it. Thirdly, in the crypt of the temple there are burials of prominent princes, bishops and nobles. And fourthly, all the most important church services and state celebrations are still being performed here. Therefore, not to visit the Vilnius Cathedral would be unfair to yourself.
Construction history
Once upon a time there was a pagan temple. In honor of the god of lightning, Perkunas, the fire on the altar burned day and night. This stone was recently discovered by archaeologists in the dungeons of the temple, at the moment it is on display. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Lithuanian prince Mindaugas (ruled from 1223) wanted to enlist the military support of the Livonians from the most powerful knightly order in Europe at that time, so he converted to Christianity. On the site of the pagan temple of Perun, he built a church (presumably in the 50s of the 13th century). But later, the prince again returned to his former religion. The church was destroyed, and in its place the temple was erected to Perkunas the Thunderer.
Finally, in 1387, Christianity was finally planted in the country. From the then capital of Poland, Krakow arrived in Vilnius King Jagiello, who at that time was also the Grand Duke of Lithuania, he was personally present at the destruction of the pagan temple. In his place, the king himself laid the first stone of the Catholic Church. So the cathedral of St. Stanislav was built. It was built in the Gothic style with powerful walls and buttresses. This cathedral stood until 1419.
Temple metamorphoses
From the Gothic in the modern church there are only fragments. The cathedral burned several times (in 1399 and 1419, as well as several times during the sixteenth century). Since the temple is located on a peninsula that protrudes into the Nyaris River (the second name is Viliya), it was often the victim of floods. But the cathedral of St. Stanislav was constantly rebuilt by the townspeople and became even bigger and more beautiful. Especially a lot of funds for the arrangement of the church were donated by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas and his wife Anna Svyatoslavovna.
The cathedral was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. For this, King Sigismund-Augustus discharged master architects from Italy - Bernardo Zanobby da Gianotti, and later Giovanni Chini Siena. But their great achievements in stone did not reach our time. The fire of 1610 destroyed the creation of the masters of the Renaissance. The restoration of the cathedral was undertaken by the architect Wilhelm Paul. His achievements were destroyed by Russian troops, who in 1655 captured the city and plundered the baroque temple to the bottom. The destruction was completed by the Swedish army.
How the building acquired a modern look
In 1769, an unprecedented storm swept over Vilnius. From the monstrous wind, the south tower of the temple collapsed, burying six clergymen under the rubble. This catastrophe prompted the townspeople to the idea that it was necessary to radically rebuild the cathedral of St. Stanislav.
The construction of a new building on the ruins of the old was led by the famous Lithuanian architect Lourinas Gutsevičius. He conceived an ambitious project - to combine in a single architectural ensemble buildings of different styles: the main nave (Gothic), the chapel of St. Casimir (Baroque), and other chapels (Renaissance). And at the same time, the architect wanted the temple to meet the spirit of the modern era. And at that time classicism prevailed. According to the architect, the cathedral was to resemble an ancient Greek temple. Gutsevičius did not have to see his brainchild. But after his death, work was continued by other architects, according to his plan.
Soviet era
In 1922, Pope Benedict II granted Vilnius Cathedral the status of a basilica. Even during the Second World War, services were held in the church. But the authorities of the USSR after the annexation of Lithuania considered the cathedral of St. Stanislav anti-Soviet. The temple was closed and turned into a warehouse. In 1950, the statues of saints were removed from the roof of the cathedral and destroyed. The body came in a deplorable state. The petitions of citizens in 1956 in the building of the former cathedral arranged the Vilnius picture gallery. The organ was restored and from 1963 on Sunday, concerts began to take place in the temple.
Since 1980, large-scale work has begun to save unique frescoes. They lasted for ten years. In 1989, the temple was transferred to the Roman Catholic Church. Property issues were settled with her. So the museum remained within the walls of the temple. Now it is located in the crypt (basement) of the cathedral.
Appearance and interior decoration
The facade of the building is a prime example of a classic style. Columns adorn it, and on the roof there are statues recreated from photographs of saints Stanislav, Casimir and Elena. In the niches you can see sculptural images of the four evangelists.
The Cathedral of St. Stanislav (Vilnius) is as beautiful inside as outside. About fifty frescoes and paintings of the 16-19th centuries adorn its walls. What you should pay special attention to is the chapel of St. Casimir. It was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century on the orders of King Sigismund III Vasa.
The Italian architect C. Tensallo was involved in the construction, and Swedish sandstone and multi-colored marble from the Apennines and the Carpathians were used as building material. In the crypt of the cathedral there is a tomb in which many monarchs rest, including two queens, the former wives of Sigismund Augustus. This is Elizabeth of Habsburg and the most beautiful woman of her time, Barbora Radziwill. Also within the walls of the temple lies the heart of King Vaz.
Cathedral of St. Stanislav (Vilnius): address and other useful information
Finding this temple is easy. It is located in the heart of the city, on Cathedral Square, 1. It is just as easy to recognize it from the old bell tower towering nearby. The church is open daily from seven in the morning until 19 hours. You can see its interiors during the same period if no mass is held. Hours of worship depend on the days of the week and religious holidays.
The Cathedral of St. Stanislav (Lithuania) is especially revered by the Poles who come here to bow to the ashes of the great kings. Entrance to the crypt is paid (about 4 euros). In addition to the tomb, the museum has a history of the temple. There you can see fragments of the masonry of the early cathedrals and pagan altars.