| Cathedral Basilica ofSt Stanislaus andSt Ladislaus | |
|---|---|
Lithuanian:Vilniaus Šv. Stanislovo ir Šv. Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika | |
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 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 54°41′09″N25°17′16″E / 54.68583°N 25.28778°E /54.68583; 25.28778 | |
| Location | Vilnius |
| Country | Lithuania |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral-Basilica |
| Founder(s) | Original: KingMindaugas Current:Ignacy Jakub Massalski |
| Dedication | St Stanislaus andSt Ladislaus |
| Consecrated | 1783 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect | Laurynas Gucevičius |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic,Baroque,Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | Original: 1251; 775 years ago (1251) Current: 1779; 247 years ago (1779) |
| Completed | 1783; 243 years ago (1783) |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | plastered masonry |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vilnius |
| Official name | Vilnius Old Town |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv) |
| Designated | 1994 |
| Reference no. | 541 |
| UNESCO region | Europe |
TheCathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius[a], also known asVilnius Cathedral is the mainCatholiccathedral inLithuania.[2] It is situated inVilnius Old Town, just offCathedral Square.[2] Dedicated to theChristian saintsStanislaus andLadislaus, the church is the heart ofCatholic spiritual life in Lithuania.[2]
The cathedral was previously used for theinauguration ceremonies of Lithuanian monarchs withGediminas' Cap, while in modern times it is a venue formasses dedicated to the electedPresidents of Lithuania after their inauguration ceremonies and giving ofoaths to the Nation in theSeimas Palace.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
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According to the 16th century writings ofAugustinus Rotundus, in the 13th century a stone temple dedicated to theBaltic pagan godPerkūnas stood on the site of the present-day cathedral.[8] It has also been postulated that the Lithuanian KingMindaugas ordered the construction of the original cathedral in 1251 afterhis conversion to Christianity and appointment of a bishop to Lithuania. Remains of the archaic quadratic church with three naves and massivebuttresses have been discovered underneath the current structure in the late 20th century.[9] After Mindaugas's death in 1263, the first cathedral again became a place of pagan worship.
In 1387, the year in which Lithuania was officiallyconverted to Christianity, construction began on a secondGothic cathedral with five chapels. This second cathedral, however, burnt down in 1419. During preparations for his 1429 coronation asKing of Lithuania,Vytautas built a significantly larger Gothic cathedral in its place. Although the coronation never took place, the walls and pillars of this third cathedral have survived to this day. The third cathedral had three naves and four circular towers at its corners, andFlemish travelerGuillebert de Lannoy noticed its similarity to theFrauenburg cathedral. In 1522, the cathedral was renovated, and a bell tower was built on top of theLower Castle defensive tower. After another fire in 1530, it was rebuilt again and between 1534 and 1557 more chapels and the crypts were added. The cathedral acquired architectural features associated with theRenaissance.
The coronations of theGrand Dukes of Lithuania took place within its confines. Inside its crypts and catacombs are buried many famous people fromLithuanian andPolish history includingVytautas (1430), his wifeAnna (1418), his brotherSigismund (Žygimantas) (1440), his cousinŠvitrigaila (1452),Saint Casimir (1484),Alexander Jagiellon (1506), and two wives ofSigismund II Augustus:Elisabeth of Austria (1545) andBarbara Radziwiłł (1551). The heart of the Polish king and Grand Duke of LithuaniaWładysław IV Vasa was buried there upon his death, although the rest of his body is buried at theWawel Cathedral inKraków.
In 1529, the Crown Prince and future King of Poland, Sigismund II Augustus, was crowned Grand Duke of Lithuania in the cathedral. During theinaugurations ofLithuanian monarchs until 1569,Gediminas' Cap was placed on the monarch's head by theBishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral.[3] The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of theGrand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g.Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł,Eustachy Wołłowicz,Jan Karol Chodkiewicz,Konstanty Ostrogski) during the negotiations of theUnion of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it and the rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were since then elected in theElection sejms.[10][11] Nevertheless, on 29 May 1580, bishopMerkelis Giedraitis in the Vilnius Cathedral presented Grand DukeStephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) aluxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified byPope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning ofelevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin.[12][13][14][15]
After yet another fire in 1610, the cathedral was rebuilt again, and the two front towers were added. The cathedral was damaged again in 1655 when Vilnius fell to Russian troops in theRusso-Polish War of 1654–1667. It was renovated and redecorated several more times.
Between 1623 and 1636, at the initiative ofSigismund III Vasa and later completed by his son Wladyslaw IV Vasa, theBaroque styleSaint Casimir chapel by royal architectCostante Tencalla was built ofSwedishsandstone. Its interior was reconstructed in 1691–1692 and decorated with frescoes byMichelangelo Palloni, the altar andstuccowork byPietro Perti. This chapel contains sculpted statutes ofJagiellon kings and an epitaph with Wladyslaw IV Vasa's heart. More than anything in the Cathedral this chapel symbolizes the glory of Polish-Lithuanian union and common history.
In 1769 the southern tower, built during the reconstruction of 1666 collapsed, destroying the vaults of the neighbouring chapel and killing 6 people. After the damage,Bishop of VilniusIgnacy Jakub Massalski ordered the reconstruction of the cathedral. The works started in 1779 and were completed in 1783, and the interior was completed in 1801. The cathedral was reconstructed to its present appearance according to the design ofLaurynas Gucevičius in theNeoclassical style; the church acquired a strict quadrangular shape common to local public buildings. The main facade was adorned with sculptures of theFour Evangelists by Italian sculptorTommaso Righi. Some scholars point to the architectural resemblance of the cathedral to the works ofAndrea Palladio or see the influence of Gucevičius's tutorClaude Nicolas Ledoux.[16] The influence ofPalladian architecture is evident in side facades of the building. The lack of 'purity' of the Classical architecture, due to incorporation of Baroque style sculptures and other elements, was later criticized by academical architects, notablyKarol Podczaszyński.
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Between 1786 and 1792 three sculptures byKazimierz Jelski were placed on roof of the Cathedral -Saint Casimir on the south side,Saint Stanislaus on the north, andSaint Helena in the centre. These sculptures were removed in 1950 and restored (sculptorStanislovas Kuzma) in 1997.[17][clarification needed] Presumably the sculpture of St. Casimir originally symbolized Lithuania, that of St. Stanislaus symbolized Poland, and that of St. Helena holding a 9 m-golden cross represents the true cross.[citation needed]
During theSoviet occupation, the cathedral was converted into a warehouse.Masses were celebrated again starting in 1988, although the cathedral was still officially calledThe Gallery of Images at that time. In 1989, its status as a cathedral was restored. In January that year, the remains ofAlbertas Goštautas were discovered in the cathedral wall.[18]
In 2002 work officially began to rebuild theRoyal Palace of Lithuania behind the cathedral. The newly erected palace building considerably altered the context of the cathedral.
The cathedral and the belfry were thoroughly renovated from 2006 to 2008. The facades were covered with fresh multicolor paintwork, greatly enhancing the external appearance of the buildings. It was the first renovation since the restoration of Lithuania's independence in 1990.
In 2018, the cathedral's tympanum and several of its plinths were repaired. In 2022, the roof was renovated after part of it was blown off by strong winds. In 2023, the roof lantern above St Casimir's Chapel and the sacristy were repaired.[19]
Inside, there are more than forty works of art dating from the 16th through 19th centuries, includingfrescoes and paintings of various sizes. During the restoration of the cathedral, the altars of a presumedpagan temple and the original floor, laid during the reign of KingMindaugas, were uncovered. In addition, the remains of the cathedral built in 1387 were also located. A fresco dating from the end of the 14th century, the oldest known fresco in Lithuania, was found on the wall of one of the cathedral's underground chapels.
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