Description of the attraction
The construction of the Church of St. Michael began in 1594, when the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapega presented his palace to the nuns of the Bernardine order, which had previously been equipped for a small monastery, and then allocated funds for the construction of a church at the palace. The construction was well financed and was completed by 1625.
However, the temple was destined for a difficult fate. In 1655 he suffered greatly from the invasion of the Cossacks during the Russian-Polish war. The building was looted and then burned down. In 1663, it was restored again, with a baroque façade and side towers added to the renovated building. Since then, the building has been reconstructed several times, but has not undergone significant changes.
According to some reports, at the end of the 17th century, and according to others, at the beginning of the 18th century, a separate bell tower, made in the Baroque style, appeared near the church. In 1703, a gallery was added to the church, decorated with columns, the remains of which can be seen today.
In 1886, the nuns from the church were transferred to the monastery at the Church of St. Catherine, and the building of the church itself was transferred to the women's gymnasium. However, in 1888 it was also closed. By 1905, representatives of the Sapieha family returned the church and began its restoration, which lasted from 1906 to 1912. Services were resumed in the church, and after 1919 representatives of the Bernardine order returned to the monastery.
In Soviet times, the temple did not function, but was declared an architectural monument of all-Union significance and transferred to the Architectural Museum. Since 1972, the temple has served as a museum, and the department of historical research was located in the premises of the now defunct monastery. In 1993, the entire architectural complex was transferred to the Vilnius Archbishopric, and already in 2006, its restoration began. The architectural museum was liquidated, and after the completion of the reconstruction, the church heritage museum was opened in the temple. The opening ceremony took place in October 2009.
The church has a rectangular plan, one nave. The length is 30 meters and the width is 13.5 meters. The architectural style is mixed, as it has features of both Gothic architecture and Renaissance architecture. Gothic features are visible in the characteristic narrow windows, high tiled roof. The Renaissance prevails in the interior and decoration of the facade of the church. The main facade of the church is divided into three tiers. Between the windows of the first tier, you can see an ornament of rue twigs, the second tier has no windows, but the piers are filled with several niches that were previously painted with frescoes. There are windows on the second tier only in the towers.
The vault of the interior is cylindrical, typical of Renaissance architecture. The altars are made of marble and decorated with sculptural forms. The main altar is made of multicolored marble and dates from the 17th century, the three side altars date from the 18th century and are made in the Rococo style.
A monument to its founder, Lev Sapega and his two wives has also survived in the temple. In addition, there is a monument to the son of Sapieha and other representatives of this noble family in the church. The ashes of Lev Sapieha rests in the church itself under the altar. The church itself is part of the Vilnius ensemble of buildings built in the late Renaissance. Today the church is the largest architectural monument in Lithuania. Next to it is a Baroque bell tower dating from the early 18th century. HER tower is in perfect harmony with the towers of the main facade of the church. At the top of the bell tower is a weather vane with the image of the holy Archangel Michael. The church is currently under reconstruction.
