Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Vilnius

About

A modest church in Antakalnis stood as early as in the 14th century, according to legend, on the site of a pagan cult. The current church and monastery building rose in the mid-17th century after the Moscow invasion that devastated Vilnius. This is one of the few churches in Vilnius that avoided forced closure during the occupation years; it has been open to Catholics from the late 17th century to the present day.

A little deceptive facade of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, which seems to lack the majesty of mature Baroque, is a reflection of the innovations of that time: decorative columns in the main façade that hold nothing and serve only an aesthetic function were used for the first time of a church culture in Lithuania.

Inside the church lies one of the most impressive Baroque interiors, where the church’s founder, Mykolas Kazimieras Pacas, invited two Italian sculptors to decorate it. The white interior is a distinctive feature of this church, decorated with over 2000 unique stucco moldings.

In 2015, the portal “Church Pop” compiled a list of the most beautiful churches in the world, and the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul makes the first place of the list.