Church of St. Johns, Vilnius

The Church of St. Johns, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist (

Academy professors and students used to pray here, and Vilnius theologians gave sermons. It was a place for performances and disputes, where theses were defended and kings greeted.

History

The church was built in 1388–1426, reconstructed in the 16th and 17th centuries. The tower, separate from the church itself, was built in the 16th century. After the fire in 1737, from 1738 to 1748, architect

.

Architecture

The layout of the Church of St. Johns still reflects its original

of the Church of St. Johns was the most famous one in Lithuania, but in the Soviet period it was destroyed; it has now been restored. In the central nave at the pillars stand 18 sculptures, 12 of which represent various saints bearing the name of John. All frescoes in the church date from the 18th century and were uncovered and restored in the 1970s. The church contains many memorial monuments: to Konstantinas Sirvydas (sculpt. Juozas Kėdainis, 1979), Adam Mickiewicz (sculpt. Piotr Stryjenski and Marceli Gujski, 1899), Simonas Daukantas (sculpt. Gediminas Jokūbonis, 1979) and others.

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54°40′57″N 25°17′18″E / 54.68250°N 25.28833°E / 54.68250; 25.28833

Gallery

• 
  Church of St Johns at Vilnius, Lithuania in year 1582.
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  Interior
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  Main altar
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  Organ

See also

• List of Jesuit sites

References