Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius

About

The Church of St. Casimir (Lithuanian: Šv. Kazimiero bažnyčia, Polish: Kościół Św. Kazimierza) is a Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town, close to the Vilnius' Town Hall. It is the first and the oldest baroque church in Vilnius, built in 1618.

The construction of the church began on 12 May 1604 in memory of the holy prince Saint Casimir, who was canonized on 4 March the same year. It was built by the Jesuits with funding by the major Lithuanian magnates, among them Lew Sapieha, Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł the Orphan, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, and Aleksander Gosiewski. The construction was also financially supported by King Sigismund III Vasa, as well as his son, Cardinal Karol Ferdynand Vasa. It is traditionally assumed that the corner stone (which can be seen on the façade wall) was pulled into the city by procession of 700 Vilniusites from the Antakalnis hills. The construction was finished in 1616, and the interior design completed in 1618.

The Church of St. Casimir is one of the earliest exemplary Baroque buildings in the city. Its spatial composition and facade were designed along the line of the famous Il Gesù church in Rome. The shape of the building was modeled after the churches in Kraków and Lublin, with additional towers. The author of the design was Jan Frankiewicz, a pupil of architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni.

Despite providing financial support for the construction of the church, the royal court sought to limit its importance as a center of the cult of St. Casimir, in favor of St. Casimir’s Chapel built at the cathedral and the castle. During the 40-hour ceremony of the translation of the saint’s relics in 1636, the Church of St. Casimir was bypassed by the procession.

In the middle of the 18th century the church was reconstructed by architect Thomas Zebrowski. Under his supervision a stepped lantern cupola with a crown was erected. This large and impressive cupola is unique in the entire region of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Under Russia's occupation the church of St. Casimir was converted into a Russian Orthodox church. In 1915 Vilnius was occupied by the Germans and the church was converted into the Evangelical Lutheran prayer house of the Vilnius Garrison. In 1919 the church of St. Casimir was returned to the Catholics, but was damaged again during the Second World War, closed down and in 1963 converted into a Museum of Atheism. The church was reconsecrated in 1991.

The church is known for excellent acoustics and organ concerts with renowned international musicians.