See old churches of the Vilnius city

1. Cathedral Basilica (Cathedral Square 1)
The original cathedral built in 1251. Due to fires, wars, and unstable ground, the Cathedral was rebuilt more than once. As a result, gothic, renaissance, and baroque styles are reflected in its architecture.
The most beautiful part of the Cathedral, the baroque chapel of St Casimir, was built in 1623–1636. A tall portico with 6 Doric columns and sculptures by the Italian sculptor. This is the main square of Vilnius and where loads of people come to meet friends or just sit out in the sun and chat.
On the roof above the pediment three sculptures of St. Stanislaus, St. Helen and St. Casimir were erected. The Cathedral’s bell tower (height exceeds 57 meters) was built atop a Lower Castle defensive tower. Its oldest underground square section was even built in the XIII century. The bell tower acquired its present appearance after the 1801 reconstruction.

2. Gates of Dawn (Ausros Vartu Str. 12)
Originally called the Medininkai gates, they were one of the original five gates of Vilnius built together with the city wall. The building’s unique renaissance attic is decorated with a décor characteristic of that style. The picture of the Mother of Mercy of the Gates of Dawn is well known among Catholics worldwide.

3. Evangelican Lutheran Church (Vokieciu Str. 20)
The first Evangelical church in this location was built in 1555. The church is small and modest with an ornate high altar. The height of the bell tower is 30 meters.

4. Kenessa (Liubarto Str. 6)
The Moorish-style Karaim temple was built in 1922–1923 and consecrated in 1922–1923. The Karaims are a small religious and national community, which was invited to Lithuania from Crimea by Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. ‘Karaim’ means ‘I am reading (the bible)’.

5. Synagogue (Pylimo Str. 39)
The Synagogue is the only remaining one of the one hundred and five synagogues and Jewish temples in Vilnius. It was built in the Moorish style in 1903. The Jewish temple has a nice copula and the tablets of Moses are portrayed on the tympanum. Inside is a separate gallery set aside for women and a choir loft, which also has a small organ.

6. Russian Orthodox Church of Holy Mother 0f God (Maironio Str. 12)
It is thought that Julijona, the wife of Algirdas and the mother of Jogaila, established this church in the XIV century and was buried in it. 1511–1522 rebuilt the almost-ruined old church in the gothic Byzantine style. During 1864–1868 at the initiative of General Governor N. Muravyov, the cathedral was rebuilt, acquired its present appearance, and again became an Orthodox church.

7. Russian Orthodox Church of the Holly Spirit (Ausros Vartu Str. 10)
The church and the Orthodox monastery were built in 1567. The brick church was erected in 1638 and reconstructed and decorated in the rococo style during 1749–1753. The simple massive bell tower adds to the calm and symmetric exterior of the church with its two early baroque towers and high (49 meters) dome.

8. St Michael’s The Archangel (St. Mykolo Str. 9)
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. 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 XVIII century. On the top of it is an iron weathervane depicting the Michael the Archangel treading on the devil.

9. St. Raphael’s the Archangel (Snipiskiu Str. 1)
The Church and the Jesuit monastery stand on the bank of the Neris. This stylish two-tower late baroque structure was built in 1702–1730. The interior of the building is interesting: the high altar contains a beautiful picture of the Raphael the Archangel (XIII century) in addition to many other valuable pictures.

10. Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Visitandine Convent (Rasu Str. 6)
The Church and convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the Visitandine Church together with the adjacent Missionaries’ Church form an impressive complex on Saviour Hill, which is highly visible from various parts of the city. This church is an important late baroque style structure. After the World War II, a prison was established there, which has been operating until now.

11. Holy Trinity and Basilian Monastery (Ausros vartu Str. 7b)
The Basilian monastery was founded on top of Holy Trinity Hill. In 1347 built a wooden Orthodox church. After the church burned down in 1748, the Basilian monks built a new Orthodox church in the same location. The church is in the rococo style, its interior divided into three equally high naves topped by semi circular apses. At the beginning of the XIX century, a prison was established in the southern building of the monastery.

12. Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit (Dominikonu Strg. 8)
In place of the wooden one that burned down, built the Church of the Holy Spirit, which later was enlarged in 1501. The walls of the church have survived from those times. During 1753–1770 the Dominicans built a new church and enlarged the monastery. The top of its dome reaches 51 meters. The exterior of the church contains both mature and late baroque elements.

13. Sts Jacob and Phillip’s Church (Lukiskiu Square 10)
The two-tower, baroque Church and the Dominican monastery are located near Lukiskiu Square on the site of a former graveyard. A wooden church was built at this location in 1624 and the present building has survived from the end of the XVII century. The Dominican monastery was built in the XVIII century when the history of the monastery hospital and began. The onks maintained the hospital until 1808, when it became the first secular hospital in the city.

14. Sts Johns’ Church (St. Jono Str. 12)
The Church built as the first centre of the Catholicism immediately after Lithuania’s conversion to Christianity in 1387–1426. 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. 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. At present besides services, the church hosts concerts and small-scale events and also houses a museum.

15. St Casimir’s Church and the Jesuit Monastery (Didzioji Str. 34)
This was the very first baroque church in Lithuania, which the Jesuits built during 1604–1618. It was designed after a famous foremost baroque church in Rome. In 1812 Napoleon’s army damaged the church. After the uprising of 1830–1831, it was reconstructed. The church is decorated with three decorative and ornate late baroque style altars. The construction of the monastery dates back to 1604–1615.

16. St Catherines’s Church and The Benedictian Monastery (Vilniaus Str. 30)
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 the World War II, but was restored again afterwards. Now the building is in the baroque style with the rococo-style decorations. The monastery’s buildings date back to the 16th–19th centuries. They are distinguished by an unusually complicated designs.

17. The Calvaries Church of The Invention of The Cross (Dominican) (Kalvarijø Str. 225)
The Kalvarijos chapels form the Stations of the Cross, which were created in thanksgiving to God for the liberation of the country from the Russians. The founder of the Stations was Bishop Jurgis Belazaras. Work began in 1664. The Church of the Invention of the Cross and 35 wooden chapels for the Cavalries were built. These are the second oldest Lithuanian Stations of the Cross according to their founding dates, and in the past were the most famous. Pilgrims and processions of the believers visited them.
After the wooden chapels burned down, in the 18th century, 19 brick chapels were built in this location. Later 31 chapels were blown up in 1963 at the order of the Soviet authorities. But the people persistently used to mark and take care of the chapel sites and the tradition of visiting them was not interrupted. At present, the Vilnius Stations of the Cross are being restored and, in 2000, seven chapels were consecrated.

18. St Nicolas’ Church (St. Mikalojaus Str. 4)
This is the oldest remaining house of worship in Lithuania with a churchyard fence. It was built in the 14th century. Grand Duke Gediminas invited traders and artisans to Vilnius and granted them many privileges and freedom of religion. After the traders, Franciscan monks also arrived and built their own church.
This gothic red brick building is modest and simple but cosy and harmonious. The church's vault, supported on four octagonal columns, is worthy of attention. The church has three altars. The high altar has a 16th century silver-encrusted picture of St Nicholas. The inner space of the church is low and continuous; only a sharp triumphal arch divides the presbytery.

19. St Nicolas’ Orthodox Church (Didzioji Str. 12)
St. Nicolas’ Orthodox Church is in the gothic-Byzantine style. It was built in 1514 by the Grand Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Konstantinas Ostrogiskis. During 1609–1827, the church belonged to the Uniates, and in 1827; the Orthodox priests took it over. During fires in the 18th century, the old gothic church burned down and in 1845 was restored in the late baroque style. In executing a russification program, in 1865 the church was reworked in the Russian Byzantine style at the direction of Nikolay Muravyov.

20. St Anne’s Church (Maironio Str. 8)
St Anne’s Church is one of the most beautiful and famous buildings in Vilnius. It is presumed that the original (wooden) St Anne’s Church was built in the 14th century by Ona, the wife of Vytautas the Great. The first historical reference to St Anne’s Church dates back to 1394.
It is thought that the brick church was built during 1495–1500 through the efforts of the Franciscans. This is a real late gothic masterpiece; of which there are few comparable buildings in the entire world. The church has reached our time almost unchanged and has become one of the symbols of Vilnius.
The church is surrounded by many legends. The most popular story is that Napoleon upon seeing St Anne’s Church, said that he would like to place it in the palm of his hand and move it to Paris. The church, built using thirty-three kinds of bricks, has already stood for five centuries in the lee of the severe Bernardine gothic style, amazing everyone with the courage and ingenuity of the masters who erected it. This amazingly light, harmonious, and playful building is distinguished by the rhythmic composition of its vertical and curved lines: above the portal there are no flat wall surfaces, only pilasters, slim rod squares, three kinds of arches, and elegant spires crowned with metal crosses.

21. St Parasceve’s Orthodox Church (Didzioji Str. 2)
St. Parasceve’s (Piatnickaya) Church, according to legend, was built in 1345 on the site of a temple to the pagan god, Ragutis. After it burned down, a brick Orthodox church was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century. In 1611, the church along with the adjacent buildings and almshouse were passed to the Uniates. However, they were bad landlords, not paying the appropriate attention to their property. Only after the occupation of Vilnius in 1655 was the restoration of the building possible. In 1705 and 1708, Tsar Peter I visited the repaired church and bestowed a special honour on it by making a present of the flags taken from the conquered Swedes. It is also said that Peter I baptised Hannibal, the great grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, here. During 1794–1864, the church stood closed and almost in ruins. After the uprising in 1863 when russification measures were undertaken, an Orthodox church, based on the design of the architect, N. Tchiagin, and fairly larger than its neo-Byzantine predecessor, arose on this site in 1864.

22. Sts Peter And Paul’s (Antakalnio Str. 1)
A wooden church, destroyed during the 1655–1661 War with Moscow, stood in this location since the christening of Lithuania. Hetman M.K. Pacas, in memory of the liberation from Russians, built the brick Church of Sts Peter and Paul during 1667–1676. The building seems quite severe and restrained from outside. It is in the form of a Latin cross with the dome and two short towers. The church has a unique old picture portraying the plague in Vilnius (1710). This canvas was restored at the beginning of the 19th century.
The fence surrounding the churchyard and four chapels were built in the second half of the 17th century. The square in front of the church is named Jono Pauliaus II Square, in memory of the Pope Joan Paul II visit to Vilnius. The sculptured interior décor has undergone almost no changes since the beginning of its creation and has survived until the present day.

23. St Francis’ and Bernardine (Maironio Str. 10)
St. Francis’ and Bernardine Church is one of the biggest gothic sacral buildings in Lithuania. It is much higher and more archaic than the St Anne’s Church with which it forms an interesting and unique pair.
Previously the church was used as the part of the city’s defensive wall. After 16th–17th century restorations, to which Vilnius Voivode Jonas Karolis Chodkevicius also contributed, the church acquired renaissance and gothic style elements; the altars, pulpit, organ choir, tombstones, and frescos (created during the 16th–18th centuries) are in the baroque style. All this gives the church cosiness and enlivens the strict graphic forms of the gothic lines. The church has 14 rococo style altars (3 brick and 11 wooden) decorated with an abundance of beautiful wooden sculptures and possesses the oldest known crucifix in Lithuania, which is of a high artistic value.

24. St Theresa’s Church and The Discalced Carmelite Cloister (Ausros vartu Str. 14)
One of the most perfect early baroque buildings of Vilnius is the graceful and tall St Theresa’s Church. It was built during 1633–1650 at the initiative of Deputy Chancellor Steponas Pacas and at his expense. The building consists of high and wide central nave and two narrow and low side naves with chapels.

25. Church of the Assumption and the Missionaries’ Monastery (Subaciaus Str. 28)
On Saviour Hill beyond the former city wall near the Subacius Gate, in 1695 the erections of a church and monastery for the Missionaries were begun. Construction was completed in 1753. The church belongs to the most delicate and graceful late baroque buildings. Its two high towers and vestibule are in rococo style. The Missionaries’ Monastery, built during 1640–1650, is located near the church. At present, a hospital is operating there.

26. Church of Lord Jesus and the Trinitarian Friary (Antakalnio Str. 27)
The Church is located behind the former Sapiega family mansion. The church was built during 1694–1717 through the efforts of Kazimieras Sapiega, the Voivode of Vilnius and the Hetman of Lithuania. The Friary, built for the Trinitarians, is located nearby. The church was built in the baroque style. Above the great entrance door is a relief portraying an angel holding a Trinitarian and a prisoner ransomed by him.

27. Church of All Saints (Rudninku Str. 20/1)
The church was built during 1620–1630 in early baroque (so-called Carmelite) style. A large friary was also built for the Carmelites at the same time. After a fire in the 18th century, it was restored and finished with a rococo-style dome roof. A large old rule Carmelite friary, constructed using the existing buildings is located near the church.