St. Stanislaus Cathedral (Vilnius)

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St. Stanislaus Cathedral

The Vilnius Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus ( Lithuanian Vilniaus Šv. Vyskupo Stanislovo ir Šv. Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika , short "arkikatedra" or Vilniaus katedra ) is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania . Since 1985 it has been raised to the rank of minor basilica . It is the parish church and the main church in the 1st Deanery Vilnius of the Archdiocese of Vilnius.

The church is located at the foot of the castle hill of the Upper Castle on Cathedral Square in the old town of Vilnius and thus on historical ground. There has been a settlement here since the earliest times and so the church is closely linked to Lithuanian history . The coronations of Lithuanian grand dukes took place here and many Lithuanian dignitaries were buried here.

The basilica in its current form is based on a classicist design by Laurynas Gucevičius and was completed in 1801. As with many churches in the Baltic States, its bell tower is separate.

The church is dedicated to St. Stanislaus, Bishop of Cracow and St. Ladislaus I , King of Hungary, two important supporters of the Catholic Church in eastern Central Europe in the 11th century.

history

The cathedral in Vilnius can be considered the first church on Lithuanian soil. A first building was probably built in the time of King Mindauga in the 13th century. Mindaugas converted to Christianity for political reasons in 1251 and had a small Gothic three-aisled church built on a square floor plan with a choir instead of a pagan place of worship . Her remains were found under the current church at the end of the 20th century. After Mindaugas' death in 1263, pagan priests took over again, and a pagan temple should have stood under the castle hill again. The actual Christianization of Lithuania did not take place until the end of the 14th century, when Grand Duke Jogaila was baptized in order to receive the Polish royal crown. To underline the seriousness of his baptism, Jogaila had a church built again in 1387. In the following year, Archbishop Bodzanta from Gniezno consecrated the new church as the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius on the occasion of Jogaila's appointment as King of Poland . Simultaneously with the construction of the cathedral, a school was built to train theological offspring. It was the first school in Lithuania and the most important until the Jesuit College was founded in 1570.

Jogaila's church burned down in 1419 and Jogaila's cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas , had a new Gothic hall church built. Its walls determine the building of the church inside to this day. In the course of the 15th and 16th centuries, chapels were added on both sides. Fires in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the renovation in the current architectural style, Renaissance (1534–1557) and Baroque (1612–1632). At the same time the important Casimir chapel was built (1624–1636; see below). The war with Moscow 1654–1657 left severe damage to the cathedral, so that in 1666–1676 extensive interior work was carried out. The Casimir Chapel was decorated at the end of the 17th century. In 1769, one of the two church towers that had been erected at the portal during the baroque renovation collapsed and the church had to be closed.

Today's classicistic appearance goes back to the project of the Lithuanian architect Stuoka-Gucevičius , which was realized from 1783. After 15 years of construction, the work was completed in 1801 under the direction of the architect Michael Schulz (Stuoka-Gucevičius had died in 1798). Before the work was completed, however, the Vilnius diocese was abolished after the incorporation of Lithuania into the Russian Empire 1795–1798 and was then placed under the Mogilev Archdiocese . Bishops were prevented from exercising their office and with the closure of the university the diocese lost its training center. When the Casimir Church was converted into an Orthodox church after the Polish-Lithuanian uprising in 1831 , the Rococo sculptures with the figures of Lithuanian grand dukes, saints and apostles were placed in the niches on the outer walls of the cathedral.

In the First World War looted by the Germans, the cathedral after the war between the Polish and Lithuanian community was controversial. When the Vilnius area was finally assigned to Poland, only Polish-language services were held from 1923. In 1925 the cathedral became the seat of the new Vilnius Archdiocese, while the western areas of the former Vilnius Diocese that remained with Lithuania formed the new Kaišiadorys Diocese . After cracks were discovered in the walls in 1931, extensive renovation work was carried out in 1932–1939, during which a new crypt was laid under the Casimir Chapel.

After the Second World War , the cathedral was closed by the Soviet authorities in 1949. After almost three years of vacancy, during which several break-ins and art objects were stolen, the conversion into an art gallery began in 1953, which was opened in 1956. The coffin of St. Casimir was transferred to the Peter and Paul Church in 1953 .

In 1989 the cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church and consecrated again with a service on February 5, 1989. On March 3, 1989, the day before his name day , Kasimir's coffin was brought back from the Peter and Paul Church to the Kasimir Chapel in a solemn procession .

architecture

front

Today's church is shaped in its external appearance by the classicist design of Stuoka-Gucevičius, but inside goes back to the Gothic three-nave hall church of the 15th century. Stuoka-Gucevičius knew the exterior with a strictly antique look: according to the Doric order carry powerful smooth columns a triglyphs - Fries and the portal closes a powerful pediment. The relief in the gable triangle shows Noah's sacrifice of thanksgiving after being saved from the flood. The three sculptures on the gable were created by the sculptor Karol Jelski in 1786–1792 and show St. Stanislaus (patron saint of Poland; left), St. Casimir (patron saint of Lithuania; right) and St. Helena (center). They were destroyed by the Soviet rulers in 1950. After long discussions it was decided to re-erect it, and since 1997 copies have been on the gable again. A sacristy, structurally identical to the Kasimir chapel, was added on the left side of the building at the level of the choir , in order to give the church the symmetry sought after in the classicist design . The Casimir Chapel was left unchanged so that the sacristy also shows a baroque exterior. In addition, the grave chapels from the 16th and 17th centuries were provided with a uniform outer wall, the windows were enlarged towards the bottom and extended by a series of Doric columns.

inside rooms

The classicist character is also carried through inside the church. The pillars, which go back to the Gothic three-aisled hall church from the 15th century, as well as the vaults, were provided with classical elements. The main altar resembles the Doric order of the exterior with its frieze supported by black and green speckled marble columns and overlying pediment triangle. The picture in the middle above the altar is by Franciszek Smuglewicz (1797) and shows the martyrdom of St. Stanislaus. On the altar from the 18th century is the tabernacle , an extremely valuable work from the workshop of the Augsburg goldsmith Matthias Walbaum from 1623/25. The reliefs on the doors show The Last Supper and the sermon in the olive garden . The crucifix on the altar is framed by the figures of St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir. To the right of the main altar, the so-called "Bishop's Chapel" was added in the early 16th century. Its name comes from the fact that the Vilnius bishops were buried under its soil. Above the tabernacle in which the now Blessed Sacrament is kept (therefore the name of the chapel today officially Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament ), hangs a picture of Gonzaga Nunez (1877), is the ###.

On both sides of the walls of the aisles are 16 paintings by Constantino Villani from the second half of the 18th century, juxtaposing scenes from the New Testament (north side) with scenes from the Old Testament (south side). The paintings on the side of the altar ( Feeding of the 5,000 and The Sacrifice of Melchizedech ; 1785) and the picture Peter baptizing the soldier in prison (1801) are by Franciszek Smuglewicz, as are the depictions of the apostles between the pillars in the central nave (1785).

Bell tower

Cathedral with the bell tower
Bell tower

The free-standing bell tower was originally a round defense tower of the Lower Castle from the second half of the 14th century. The shot hatches on the outside are still visible today. Its foundations are now 1.2 meters deep in the ground. It is believed that it served as a bell tower as early as the 15th century and was raised by an octagonal storey in the Gothic style. In the 16th century it was increased by two more floors (~ 1550 and 1598). After the fire of 1610, the damaged bell tower also had to be restored. The clocks date from the 17th century, the hood from 1897. Due to its age and the soft ground, the tower is now slightly crooked. Today it has a height of 52 m (57 m with cross).

Coronation and burial site

From Vytautas (1401) to the time of Sigismund II August (1529) the coronations of the Lithuanian grand dukes took place in the cathedral . The corpses of important Lithuanian statesmen and nobles, their wives and church dignitaries were also buried here. It is believed that Sigismund II's secret marriage to Barbara Radziwiłł also took place in the cathedral in 1547. The first burial chapel was founded by the first bishop of Vilnius, Andrej Vasila, in 1397. During excavations in 1985, a crypt was uncovered, which was the only one with wall paintings. It could have been Vytautas' tomb. The fragment preserved shows Jesus on the cross, with Mary and John at his side, and is the oldest surviving evidence of wall painting in Lithuania.

fresco

Over the centuries that followed, new chapels were added to the cathedral and later rebuilt. Stuoka-Gucevičius tried to put the chapels in order in his symmetrical design. Since then there have been 11 chapels in the cathedral, including the oldest, the Valavičius (first chapel on the left), whose walls have survived from the Renaissance period, and the famous Casimir Chapel (see below). During excavations under the church in 1931 graves were found and between 1932 and 1939 a new crypt was laid under the Casimir Chapel, in which the following people are buried:

The cathedral is also the burial place of (among others):

Casimir Chapel

The Casimir Chapel was built between 1624 and 1636 on the initiative of the Polish kings Sigismund III. Wasa and his son Władysław IV. Wasa built. At the beginning of the 17th century, the veneration of St. Casimir had reached new heights. Casimir was canonized as early as 1521, less than 40 years after his death, and in 1501 Pope Alexander VI. the visit to his tomb in the cathedral connected with the remission of all sins (lit.). In 1603 his coffin was opened on the occasion of the confirmation of his canonization and his body was found intact, which further increased the attraction. Casimir was popular among the population as the embodiment of the selfless, just and frugal ruler. This is shown to advantage in the decoration of the chapel.

The chapel has a square floor plan and is crowned by an octagonal dome, gilded at the top. It was built from valuable sandstone from Sweden and lined with red and black marble. The interior can be traced back to work carried out in the second half of the 17th century after the devastation caused by the Russian occupation of the city from 1655 to 1660. In its combination of valuable marble walls, frescoes and semi-plastic stucco decorations, it shows strong parallels to the monastery church in Pažaislis and the Peter and Paul church in Vilnius , the artists were the same. The frescoes were painted by Michelangelo Palloni (1691–1692), the stucco work surrounding the paintings was done by Pietro Perti.

The frescoes show the “miracle on the coffin of St. Casimir” (right side) and the “opening of the coffin of St. Casimir” (left side). The ceiling paintings show Casimir above the altar receiving a cross and a lily from an angel and singing the hymn of praise Omni die dic Mariae , and above the entrance Kasimir's struggle with temptation and his victory over temptation. The latter two paintings are from the hand of Franciszek Smuglewicz (1797).

Kasimir's body is kept in an elaborately crafted silver coffin, which was completed by 1747. The figure of St. Casimir enthroned on it comes from the earlier coffin. The coffin stands above the altar of the chapel, which is adorned with a silver-lined image of the saint, which only leaves three hands free from the painting. The painting dates back to around 1520 and was renewed in 1594. At that time an attempt was possibly made to change the position of the right hand in which Kasimir is holding lilies (symbol of chastity and attribute of Mary ). This overpainting showed up again and was declared a miracle without further ado. The silver fittings are associated with the laying out of St. Casimir in the completed chapel (1636).

The silver-plated figures of unknown rulers stand in the niches. They probably date from the first half of the 18th century and are first mentioned in 1755. Their origin is unknown.

Valavičius Chapel

The first chapel to the left (north) of the entrance is the Valavičius Chapel, also called the Bishop's Chapel. The remains of St. Casimir were kept in it until 1604; it was then called the Royal Chapel. Bishop Valavičius had the chapel prepared as his tomb. The stucco work shows, among other things, the four evangelists, the four frescoes on the ceiling the four most important stages in Mary's life: Annunciation, Visitation, Ascension and Coronation. The grave slab of the bishop (1572–1630) is on the right side wall.

literature

  • Kitkauskas Napoleonas: Vilniaus arkikatedros požemiai , Vilnius 1994.
  • Maceika J .: Vilniaus valstybinio dailės muziejaus paveikslų galerijos pastato (buv. Vilniaus katedros bažnyčios) istorinė apybraiža , 1956.

Web links

Commons : Vilnius Cathedral  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b http://www.lituanus.org/1990_1/90_1_04.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.aruodai.lt/paieska/vaizdas.php?VId=2399 Floor plans over the centuries
  3. ↑ http://www.aruodai.lt/paieska/fiksacijos.php?OId=102&FId=227 pagan temple on Gediminas-Berg (lit.) - The historiography of Theodor Narbutts on which this is based has often been questioned because it likes to Dispensed with evidence and could not be substantiated by subsequent research results; In this case, however, recent archaeological research (Urbanavičius) shows remarkable correspondences between the description of the place of worship and the actual finds.
  4. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated December 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Diocese of Vilnius (lit. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / vilnius.lcn.lt
  5. ↑ a b Archived copy ( memento of the original from January 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (lit.) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ldmuziejus.mch.mii.lt
  6. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated January 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / vilnius.lcn.lt
  7. ↑ This praise comes from the pen of Bernhard von Cluny , around 1140, a great critic of the moral decline of the Church in the Middle Ages.
  8. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated January 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (lit.) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / vilnius.lcn.lt
  9. ↑ http://www.katedra.lt/index.php?id=27 (lit.)

Coordinates: 54 ° 41 ′ 9.2 "  N , 25 ° 17 ′ 16.4"  E