St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius, Lithuania (part 1 of 2)
This is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Lithuanian capital and a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. It was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, and its founder was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, Alexander Jagiellon.
The church was constructed between 1495 and 1500, and its main architect was Michał Enkinger from Gdańsk, although some sources also mention Benedykt Rejt as a possible designer. The church initially served as the chapel of the St. Anne’s Brotherhood and was adjacent to the Bernardine monastery complex.
The building has undergone many repairs and reconstructions – after fires, the collapse of the vaulting in 1563, and during major renovations in the 20th and 21st centuries. An important stage was the restoration from 1902 to 1909 and another one from 2009 to 2010, when the heavily damaged façade and roof were secured.
St. Anne’s Church enchants with its Gothic façade, which was made using as many as 33 types of hand-profiled bricks! Two openwork towers, saddleback arches, and a wealth of Gothic details make the church a true architectural gem and one of the symbols of Vilnius.
#church #kosciol #vilnius #wilno #lithuania #litwa #lietuva #gothicarchitecture #architekturagotycka #architektura #architecture #gotyk #gothic #architekturasakralna #sacralachitecture #monastery #polis #city #miasto #ulica #street #historia #history #photography