Visiting Vilnius Cathedral

Vilnius Cathedral is a beautiful place of worship based in the old town of Vilnius. The cathedral is of the Roman Catholic faith and is a must see if you are visiting the city.

Visiting Vilnius Cathedral is an awe inspiring experience because of the sheer size and architecture of the cathedral along with the religious undertones this wonderful building provides.

Standing tall and proud in the centre of Vilnius this majestic white building draws attention instantly and leaves people struck by its beauty.

History of Vilnius Cathedral

The first and original version of the cathedral was built in 1251 by the Lithuanian King Mindaugas after he made his pledge and converted to the Christian faith, since this time the cathedral has been the central place of worship in Vilnius.

The first cathedral burnt down in 1419 and was rebuilt by the Lithuanian King Vytautas and was a lot larger than its predecessor and built in the Gothic style, the walls and pillars of today’s cathedral are survived from 1419.

In 1522 a Bell tower was built on the smaller defensive tower until 1530 when a fire damaged many parts of the cathedral and it needed rebuilding. The cathedral was rebuilt between 1534 and 1557 gaining some new architecture of the Renaissance style.

In 1610 the cathedral once again suffered from fire damage and was rebuilt, this time it gained two large front towers. More damage occurred during war time in 1655 and renovation occurred again to rebuild the damage that occurred.

By 1769 the southern tower collapsed killing six people so in 1779 the cathedral was rebuilt yet again, the outside was built by 1783 but the interior was not finished until 1801. During this time sculptures of Saint Casimir, Saint Stanislaus and Saint Helena were also added at various places in the cathedral, these sculptures were crafted by Kazimierz Jelski.

Recently the cathedral underwent some renovation; this took two years between 2006 and 2008.

Looking to visit Vilnius? Why not try to find a deal today at Expedia | Travelocity | Lastminute