Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (Kaunas)
The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul ( lit. Šv. Apaštalų Petro ir Povilo arkikatedra bazilika ) is the episcopal church of the Kaunas Archdiocese in Kaunas , the second largest city in Lithuania .
history
The town and market church on Rathausplatz, with the patronage of Peter and Paul , was begun around 1410 in the Gothic style and changed several times over the centuries after war and fire damage. Its valuable furnishings reflect the prosperity of the trading city, especially in the Baroque period . In 1895 the sacrament chapel was added. In 1921 the church received the rank of minor basilica . With the establishment of the Archdiocese of Kaunas in 1926, it became its cathedral.
architecture
St. Peter and Paul is a three-nave brick - basilica without transept. She has five nave - and four choir - yokes with a 3/6 apse . The west facade is flanked to the south by the 41 m high, simple square bell tower. Gothic forms are preserved mainly in the choir and apse, while the nave was remodeled during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods. The sacrament chapel on the south side of the choir is an independent neo-Gothic component . The white plastered accents of the gable triangle , the reveals and the architrave , which contrast with the red brick, are characteristic of the external appearance.
Furnishing
The interior of the cathedral shows itself in the garb of the early and high baroque. The columns, wall surfaces and vaults are partly marbled in pastel colors , partly decorated with ornaments and picture medallions ; this painting was created in the neo-baroque style at the end of the 19th century . The high altar with the sculptures of the crucified and the mourning Mary Magdalene is crowned by the figure of the risen Christ, kneeling worshiped by the apostles Peter and Paul and surrounded by symbols of the evangelists . It was consecrated in 1775 and is at the center of an elaborate baroque column architecture with eight other expressive statues of saints. A late Gothic reticulated vault spans over it . There are four side altars on each side of the nave columns. The most notable of these is the Assumption Altar in the front left; it is preserved in its original form from the 17th century.
The Lithuanian bishop and writer Motiejus Valančius († 1875) is buried in the crypt . The tomb of Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius († 2000) is located in the sacrament chapel, whose neo-Gothic decoration is based on John the Baptist . On the outer wall of the south aisle is the grave monument of the priest and national poet Maironis († 1932).
The organ of the cathedral was built in 1882 by the Lithuanian organ builder Juozapas Radavičius (1857–1911) and is based on late Romantic French models.
See also
Web links
- Architecture and equipment (English)
- Cathedral website (Lithuanian)
Coordinates: 54 ° 53 ′ 50.1 ″ N , 23 ° 53 ′ 20.3 ″ E