Church of the Annunciation (Kretinga)
The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic monastery church in Kretinga , Lithuania .
history
In 1602 the first wooden church was built in Kretinga. From 1605 to 1610 the Augustinian Canons (Bernardines) built a monastery. From 1610 to 1617 a stone church was built with the support of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jan Karol Chodkiewicz . A school and a printing plant were opened at the monastery. In 1659 the church was damaged by Sweden. In 1680 a small organ was installed that has been preserved to this day. In 1710 the church was damaged again by Sweden.
In the 19th century the monastery was closed by the Russian administration. Between 1907 and 1912 the church was rebuilt. After Lithuania's independence, the monastery was reopened in 1919. In 1941 the facility was destroyed by fire. In 1949 the church and the monastery were expropriated by the Soviet administration and partially repaired again in 1950.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union , the Franciscan Observants returned to the monastery in 1989 and were able to put it into official use again in 1991.
architecture
The church is a single-nave hall building in the late Gothic style. The interior is designed in the Renaissance style. Scenes from the life of St. Francis are depicted above the entrance portal.
Web links
- The Kretinga Church of the Lord's Relevation to The Holy Virgin Mary ' : Kraszogidas
- Site of the monastery
- Franciscans in Lithuania - Revolution and Routine Deutschlandfunk
Coordinates: 55 ° 53 ′ 31.4 " N , 21 ° 14 ′ 34.1" E