The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

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 St. 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 facade is two tiered with columns and a balcony. 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 Jonas Paulius II Square, in memory of the Pope's visit to Vilnius.

The most valuable asset is the church's interior, in which white predominates. White stucco moldings: sculptures, relief work, and panels cover all the walls of the church as well as the vault, the dome, and the chapels. The human figures and faces are reckoned at approximately 2000 pieces. The human figures are grouped into separate scenes where parts of the New Testament, the lives of the saints and Lithuanian history are portrayed. The sculptured interior décor has undergone almost no changes since the beginning of its creation and has survived until the present day.

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The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
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