• Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureTraveler
    The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius
    The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusLooking down a Vilnius city street in front of The Cathedral BasilicaThe Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusBell Tower of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe main Altar of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusSide altar of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusPipe Organ of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusBack of the main altar of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusA confessional at The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe Chapel of St Casimir in The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of VilniusThe bell tower of The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius

    The Cathedral Basilica

    August 8, 2022 in Lithuania ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    This shrine is a symbol of Lithuanian baptism. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus is built in the very center of the city on the site of a former pagan temple and next to Vilnius’ defensive castle.

    Lithuania’s patron saint St. Casimir rests in the Cathedral Basilica. On 4 September 1993, the Holy Father John Paul II began his historic apostolic journey through Lithuania at the Vilnius Cathedral.

    The Vilnius Cathedral was rebuilt several times as a result of frequent fires, wars, and unstable soil under its foundation. Due to the building’s importance, many prominent foreign and local architects and artists led the reconstruction projects. The building currently reflects the Classicist style, but its walls have traces of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque.

    A 57-meter-tall bell tower stands right by the cathedral and is one of the symbols of Vilnius.

    The history of the bell tower dates back to the middle of the 13th century: the defensive tower that stood here in the 16th century became a bell tower and got its current appearance at the beginning of the 19th century. The city’s oldest clock at the top of the tower chimes its bells to invite people to mass.    Read more