Church Courtyard

Sculpture “A Stairway to Heaven and its Shadow”

Sculpture “A Stairway to Heaven and its Shadow” by Vladas Urbanavičius was installed in the courtyard of the Church Heritage Museum in Vilnius in 2020. Vladas Urbanavičius was born in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia in 1951. He completed sculpture studies at the State Institute of Arts of the Lithuanian SSR in 1977. In 2015, the sculptor was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts for the harmony of thought and form in contemporary sculpture. Read more...
Exhibition “Monastic Orders that did not Return to Vilnius”

The pictures made by Jan Bułhak (1876–1950), one of the most famous photographers of Vilnius, commemorate the houses of monastic orders that did not return to this town. The pictures presented in the courtyard of the Church of St Michael have both artistic and historical value. This exhibition, located in the former convent of Bernardine Nuns, invites Vilnius residents and guests to remember and admire the heritage of different monastic orders. Read more...
Sculptures from the facades of the Church of St Catherine in Vilnius

Around the 17th century there was a custom in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to put up paintings or statues on buildings not only to decorate them but also as a way to tell travellers about the religious traditions of various monasteries and parishes. The façade of any given church may have featured a large image depicting its titular patron, important members of the fraternity, or a miraculous painting that was being worshiped at that church. Read more...
Painting “Saviour of the World”

Built in the 16th century, the Vilnius city wall used to surround the entire area currently known as the old town until as late as the 19th century. Soon after its construction, it saw the addition of defence towers and ten brick gates. The Medininkai or Sharp gate (now called the Gate of Dawn), had an image of the Holy Virgin Mary on the wall facing the city, which later became famous as a source of heavenly grace and was moved to a newly-built chapel nearby, which was looked after by the Discalced Carmelites. The exterior side of the gate had a picture of the Saviour of the World. Read more...
Bells from the Church of All Saints in Vilnius

Carl Gottlieb Sparr, a craftsman from Vilnius, cast two different bells for the Ancient Observance Carmelite Church of All Saints in Vilnius in 1733. The larger bell was named after the prophet Elijah, which is why its waist features a relief depicting the prophet with a flaming sword in his hand. Read more...

 





FUNDING FOR THE MUSEUM IS PROVIDED BY

Vilniaus Akivyskupija          
 

Informational sponsors

 LRT            bernardinai.lt