Hill of Three Crosses, Vilnius, Lithuania

On the hill stand three white crosses, each 12 meters tall. This place is a symbol of Lithuania’s national identity and commemorates tragic events from the 14th century, when, according to legend, seven Franciscans were murdered here by pagan inhabitants. Four of them were thrown into the nearby Wilenka River, and three crosses with the bodies of the martyrs were placed on the hill.

The first wooden crosses were erected between 1613 and 1636, and the existing concrete monument was created in 1916 based on a design by Antoni Wiwulski. The monument was destroyed by Soviet authorities in 1950 and later rebuilt in 1989, shortly before Lithuania regained its independence.

From the Hill of Three Crosses, there is a beautiful view of Vilnius’ Old Town, and the hill itself is a popular walking spot and an important historical and cultural symbol of Vilnius.

#gora #goratrzechkrzyzy #wzgorze #hill #HillOfThreeCrosses #wilno #vilnius #litwa #lithuania #pomnik #monument #historia #symbolnarodowy #franciszkanie #architektura #turystyka #widok #landscape #kultura #lietuva

St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius, Lithuania (part 2 of 2)

The interior of the church, although the church itself is a gem of Flamboyant Gothic with an extraordinary, lace-like façade made from 33 types of bricks, does not match the originality and finesse of its façade. It is a single-nave church, and much of its interior decoration dates back to the early 20th century, when a comprehensive renovation was carried out. The altars in the church are in the Baroque style, which does not entirely harmonize with the Gothic architecture of the temple. The main altar contains the painting of St. Anne the Mother of the Virgin (St. Anne Samotrzeć), and the side altars and furnishings such as the organ case, pulpit, and confessionals come from the time of this renovation. In the side aisles, there are also preserved Gothic frescoes and crystal and net vaults, which are a unique heritage of sacred art from the early 16th century.

Although the interior of the church is less impressive than the façade, it is nevertheless a valuable sanctuary of Gothic art with Baroque elements and testifies to the long history of its use and evolving decoration.

#church #kosciol #vilnius #wilno #lithuania #litwa #lietuva #gothicarchitecture #architekturagotycka #architektura #architecture #gotyk #gothic #architekturasakralna #sacralachitecture #monastery #polis #historia #history #photography

St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius, Lithuania (part 1 of 2)

This is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Lithuanian capital and a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. It was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, and its founder was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, Alexander Jagiellon.

The church was constructed between 1495 and 1500, and its main architect was Michał Enkinger from Gdańsk, although some sources also mention Benedykt Rejt as a possible designer. The church initially served as the chapel of the St. Anne’s Brotherhood and was adjacent to the Bernardine monastery complex.

The building has undergone many repairs and reconstructions – after fires, the collapse of the vaulting in 1563, and during major renovations in the 20th and 21st centuries. An important stage was the restoration from 1902 to 1909 and another one from 2009 to 2010, when the heavily damaged façade and roof were secured.

St. Anne’s Church enchants with its Gothic façade, which was made using as many as 33 types of hand-profiled bricks! Two openwork towers, saddleback arches, and a wealth of Gothic details make the church a true architectural gem and one of the symbols of Vilnius.

#church #kosciol #vilnius #wilno #lithuania #litwa #lietuva #gothicarchitecture #architekturagotycka #architektura #architecture #gotyk #gothic #architekturasakralna #sacralachitecture #monastery #polis #city #miasto #ulica #street #historia #history #photography

Town Hall Square, Vilnius, Lithuania

This is the historic center of the city, with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. As early as the 15th century, a Gothic town hall stood on this square, serving administrative, judicial, and commercial functions – it housed, among other things, the mayors’ meeting hall, an armory, an archive, a prison, as well as the city scales and a pillory used for administering justice. The square was an important place for gatherings and public spectacles.

#pacratuszowy #wilno #litwa #historycznecentrum #sredniowiecze #architektura #zabytki #miasto #staremiasto #kamienice #budynki #ulica #townhallsquare #vilnius #lithuania #historicalcenter #middleages #architecture #monuments #city #oldtown #tenementhouses #buildings #street #photography #fotografia

The Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius, Lithuania

It is the first Baroque Catholic church in the Old Town of Vilnius. Construction began in 1604, shortly after the canonization of Casimir Jagiellon (1602) – King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania - and was completed around 1618. The initiators of the construction were King Sigismund III Vasa (King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania) and Lew Sapieha (an influential politician and Grand Chancellor of Lithuania). The church was designed by Jesuit architects Giovanni Maria Bernardoni and Jan Frankiewicz, who based it on the Roman church Il Gesù, although the adaptation was innovative.

The church has had a difficult history: it was damaged by fires, successively converted into an Orthodox church, a warehouse, a Protestant garrison church, and during the Soviet era, it housed the Museum of Atheism. Returned to the faithful in 1989, it currently serves as a Jesuit church and a venue for organ music concerts.

#wilno #vilnius #litwa #lithuania #lietuva #kosciol #church #architektura #sacralarchitecture #architecture #miasto #city #ulica #street #historia #history #photography

The Gate of Dawn, Vilnius, Lithuania

"Lithuania! My country! You are like health,
How precious you must be, only he can tell
Who has lost you. I see your beauty now
In all its glory and describe it, because I long for you.

Holy Virgin, guardian of radiant Częstochowa,
You who shine through the Gate of Dawn,
You who watch over steadfast Nowogród and its people!
As you once healed me in childhood, so miraculous—
When in your care, from my grieving mother’s arms,
I opened my long-closed eyes
And was able to step to your temple’s door,
To offer thanks to God for life restored—
So also may you restore us,
Miraculously, to our homeland’s bosom.
Meanwhile, may you carry my soul from the gloom of longing
To those forested hills, those evergreen meadows
Spread wide where the blue Neman flows;
To those vast fields painted in varied grain colors,
A landscape gilded in wheat, silvered with rye,
Where amber is the buckwheat and white as snow,
Where red clover blooms like a maiden’s blush,
And where green furrows entwine as ribbons, within which
Wild pear trees may sometimes be seen."

Sir Thaddeus - invocation
Adam Mickiewicz

#wilno #vilnius #miasto #city #ulica #street #brama #gate #litwa #lithuania #lietuva #ostrabrama #gateofdawn #poezja #poetry #architektura #sacralarchitecture #architecture

Church of St. Theresa, Vilnius, Lithuania

This baroque architectural gem was erected by the Discalced Carmelites between 1635 and 1650, funded by Stefan Pac. It stands on Aušros Vartu Street, right beside the famous Gate of Dawn. The façade design is attributed to Constantino Tencalla. The unified interior, rebuilt after a fire in 1760, represents the late baroque style with rococo decorations and frescoes depicting the life of its patron saint. The main altar illustrates the ecstasy of St. Theresa. Notably, the church served as a temporary resting place for the heart of Józef Piłsudski - Chief of State 1918–1922 and later as Marshal of Poland, playing a key role in restoring Poland’s sovereignty after World War I.

The Gate of Dawn visible in the background, built between 1503 and 1514, is the only surviving city gate in Vilnius. It houses a chapel with the miraculous icon of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Lithuania and a symbol of Vilnius. The icon draws pilgrims from around the globe, making the Gate of Dawn a spiritual center for both Poles and Lithuanians.

#wilno #vilnius #miasto #city #ulica #street #brama #gate #kosciol #church #litwa #lithuania #lietuva #architektura #architecture #photo #photography #sacralarchitecture

The Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania

The Cathedral Square in Vilnius is the historic heart of the city and one of the most important places in Lithuania. It was established in the 19th century on the site of the former Lower Castle buildings — today, lines made of red granite slabs on the square mark the course of the old defensive walls, and four granite blocks symbolize the former gate of the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. In pagan times, this area was known as the Sacred Horn Valley, a place of worship for Perkunas, which is commemorated by the name of the nearby Šventaragio Street.

The main dominant feature of the square is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus — a religious and historical symbol, the burial place of Lithuanian dukes and King Alexander Jagiellon of Poland. The cathedral itself was built on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple. Next to the cathedral stands a powerful 57-meter-high bell tower, formerly a tower of the city walls, now a recognizable landmark of Vilnius.

Cathedral Square is not only a place for state and religious ceremonies — it has hosted the famous Kaziukas fairs, displays the largest Christmas tree in the city, and welcomes many Vilnius residents for New Year’s Eve celebrations. It is also the backdrop for important historical events — in 1989, the Baltic Chain, a peaceful protest against Soviet occupation, began here.

You will also find the famous “Stebuklas” (“Miracle”) tile here — according to legend, touching it grants wishes; all you have to do is stand on it, make a wish, and turn around three times. Cathedral Square enchants with both history and a magical atmosphere, blending Lithuania’s past with legends and modernity.

#wilno #vilnius #plac #plackatedralny #square #cathedralsquare #marketsquare #wieza #tower #dzwonnica #belltower #katedra #cathedral #bazylika #basilica #miasto #city #litwa #lithuania #lietuva #architektura #architecture #photo #photography

Trakai Island Castle, Lithuania
Part 3 of 3 - Fall, Reconstruction and the Present

In the 17th century, Trakai Castle, located in the then Grand Duchy of Lithuania (part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569), was severely damaged by numerous armed conflicts. In 1655, during the Polish-Russian War (1654–1667), when Russian and Cossack troops invaded Lithuanian and Polish lands, both the castle and the town of Trakai itself fell victim to plunder and destruction. Furthermore, between 1655 and 1660, during the so-called “Swedish Deluge,” the Swedes invaded large areas of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, including Lithuania, continuing their devastation of Trakai and the castle.

Despite reconstruction attempts in the second half of the 17th century, the fortress fell into ruin. By the 18th century, the structure was abandoned, and towns had developed around the castle. In the 19th century, the castle became an inspiration for Lithuanian Romanticism and symbolized national identity. The first archaeological and conservation work began in the late 19th century, and the first serious reconstruction attempt was undertaken between 1930 and 1935.

After World War II, between 1950 and 1984, the castle underwent a thorough reconstruction, restoring its appearance to that of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since 1984, the Trakai History Museum has operated here, and the castle is one of Lithuania’s most important tourist attractions, symbolizing the region’s rich history and culture.

#troki #trakai #zamek #castle #pilis #litwa #lithuania #lietuva #historia #history #widok #view #landscape #architektura #architecture #photo #photography

Artworks by kart7, Gyva Grafika, Tadas Vincaitis & Morfai in Kaunas, Lithuania
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Kilka murali upolowanych w Kownie na Litwie.
🎨 Na pierwszym zdjęciu widnieje "Tancerz" namalowany w 2021 r. przez Linasa Kaziulionisa, znanego jako kart7 - można go zobaczyć na ul. Nemuno 20.
🎨 Dalej mamy wielkoformatowy portret George'a Maciunasa, założyciela ruchu artystycznego Fluxus - znajduje się na ul. Jonavos 3, w 2013 r. stworzyła go grupa Gyva Grafika, a konkretnie Žygimantas Amelynas i Tadas Šimkus.
🎨 Autorem kolejnej pracy, noszącej tytuł "Powrót do domu", jest Tadas "Plugas" Vincaitis - powstała w 2018 r. na ul. Pilies 4.
🎨 Ostatnie zdjęcie pokazuje mural na ul. Smalininkų 7, który w 2015 r. stworzył Timotiejus Norvila, znany jako Morfai.
Fot. Marek Nogieć

#łowcymurali #muralhunters #streetart #urbanart #sztukaulicy #wallart #muralart #mural #murals #lithuania #cometolithuania #welovelithuania #visitlithuania #litwa #lietuva #lithuaniastreetart #streetartlithuania #gatvesmenas #kaunas #kowno