Tytuvėnai Monastery () is a historic monastic complex in

Tytuvėnai Tytuvėnai () is a town in the Kelmė district municipality, Lithuania. It is located east of Kelmė. It is known for its Bernardine monastery. History The first church in the town was built in 1555. The construction of the monastery was initi ...

, northern

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, renowned for its

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

art and religious significance. The site includes the Church of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen Of Angels and adjacent monastery buildings, originally constructed for the Bernardine Franciscans in the 17th century. It is a protected cultural landmark and has been on Lithuania's

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Tentative List since 2006.

Architecture

The monastery complex exhibits a synthesis of Gothic,

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

, and

architectural elements. The church itself features a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

-type layout with three naves and a two-level

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

. The use of red brick combined with

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

s, high-arched windows, and

tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support th ...

reflects a transitional phase in Lithuanian architectural design. The interior of the church is noted for its series of ornate

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

s and sculptural details. A particularly notable work is the painting of

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

from the 1720s, which has been a central object of veneration. Furthermore, the complex includes the Christ Stairs Chapel, modelled after the

Scala Sancta The (, ) are a set of 28 white marble steps located in an edifice on extraterritorial property of the Holy See in Rome, Italy proximate to the Archbasilica of Saint John in Laterano. Officially, the edifice is titled the Pontifical Sanctuary ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

History

Tytuvėnai has been known in historical sources since the late 14th century, and the

manor was mentioned in 1500. At the beginning of the 16th century, Grand Duke Alexander of Lithuania gifted Tytuvėnai,

Kelmė Kelmė (; ; Yiddish: קעלם) is a city in northwestern Lithuania, a historical region of Samogitia. It has a population of 8,206 and is the administrative center of the Kelmė District Municipality. Name Kelmė's name is likely derived from t ...

and the surrounding area as a dowry to Jadvyga, the daughter of the former

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Voivode

Alekna Sudimantaitis Alekna Sudimantaitis (, ; died in 1490/1491) was an influential Lithuanian noble of Trąby coat of arms, Grand Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1478–1490) and Voivode of Vilnius (1477–1490). Alekna is mentioned in written sources i ...

. The first church in Tytuvėnai, dedicated to

St George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the R ...

, was constructed in 1555.

Founding and Early Years

In 1609 , a

Standard-bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a colour-bearer or flag-bearer, is a person who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as ...

of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

and a judge of the

Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...

n Land Court, purchased the manor, the town and the adjacent lands from , the Voivode of Brest. In 1613, he invited Bernardine monks and gave them 10,000 gold pieces. Five members of the order arrived from Vilnius and

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

and settled near the old church. On 20 June 1614, after the consecration of the

cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

, the construction of the church and the monastery began. Although Valavičius died shortly after signing the Foundation Act, his family, notably his brothers, continued the project. The monastery and the church were completed in 1633 and consecrated on 1 November 1635. The monastery was severely damaged during the First Northern War (1654–1667), particularly during the 1655 invasion by Muscovite forces.

18th–19th Centuries

During the eighteenth century, the complex experienced significant modifications. Between 1764 and 1788, the monastery was reconstructed in the Vilnius Baroque style and assumed its present appearance, characterized by ornate

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

decorations and architectural forms. The frescoes and altars were completed earlier, by 1740, likely by artists influenced by

Italian Baroque Italian Baroque (or ''Barocco'') is a stylistic period in Italian history and art that spanned from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. History The early 17th century marked a time of change for those of the Roman Catholic religion ...

traditions. However, after the

Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign ...

, the active monastic life of the complex was disrupted in the mid-nineteenth century when the Bernardine community was disbanded in 1832 by tsarist authorities after the failed

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

against

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. The friars were accused of involvement in anti-Russian activities. Tsarist authorities later repurposed the monastery's buildings as a school and courthouse. Later in 1864, after the second failed

uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

, during further repressions against

ns,

Mikhail Muravyov-Vilensky Count Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov (; 12 October 1796 in Moscow – 12 September 1866 in Saint Petersburg) was a Russian imperial statesman of the 19th century, most known for brutally putting down of Polish and Lithuanian uprisings and leading s ...

ordered the closing down of the monastery's church. Andriejus Petravičius, the last Bernardine monk in Tytuvėnai, was arrested and deported to

katorga Katorga (, ; from medieval and modern ; and Ottoman Turkish: , ) was a system of penal labor in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (see Katorga labor in the Soviet Union). Prisoners were sent to remote penal colonies in vast uninhabited a ...

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. Fortunately by the efforts of the local parishioners and

Motiejus Valančius Motiejus Kazimieras Valančius (; , also known by his pen-name ''Joteika'' and ''Ksiądz Maciek''; 1801–1875) was a Catholic Bishop of Samogitia, historian and one of the best known Lithuanian/Samogitian writers of the 19th century. Biograph ...

, the

Bishop of Samogitia A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

, the church was allowed to re-open but the monastery remained closed. At the end of the nineteenth century, due to repressive tsarist policies the

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

house, watermill,

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

, the carriage house were demolished.

20th century and present day

During the

Soviet occupation of Lithuania The occupation of the Baltic states was a period of annexation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union from 1940 until its dissolution in 1991. For a period of several years during World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic st ...

, the monastery was once again closed. The church was also closed in 1969 by

Soviet authorities The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the executive and administrative organ of the highest body of state authority, the All-Union Supreme Soviet. It was formed on 30 December 1922 and abolished on 26 December 199 ...

and used as a warehouse, leading to the deterioration of its interior art. Following Lithuania's re-establishment of independence in 1990, efforts to restore and preserve Tytuvėnai Monastery have intensified. Initially, due to the lack of funds only the most urgent repairs were done. Starting in the early 2000s and particularly after 2007, full restoration projects were implemented to address structural deterioration and to conserve the original decorative elements, including the restoration of faded

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s and other artistic details. These efforts were crucial following a 2012 fire that caused significant damage to parts of the complex. Today, the monastery serves both as a museum and a pilgrimage site, notably as a component of the Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

Pilgrims' Way A pilgrims' way or pilgrim way is a standard route that pilgrims take when they go on a pilgrimage in order to reach their destination – usually a holy site or place of worship. These sites may be towns or cities of special significance such a ...

. A

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''Chasse (casket), chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported ...

, consisting of a drop of blood of John Paul II, is also preserved within the complex.

Gallery

File:Tytuvėnaivienuolynas1.JPG,

Fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es File:Tytuvėnaivienuolynas4.JPG, Arcades of the monastery File:Tytuvėnaivienuolynas3.JPG, One of the corridors of the monastery File:1. Tytuvėnai, Šventųjų laiptų koplyčia.JPG, Tytuvėnai Christ Stairs Chapel

References

External links

Official website of Šiauliai Diocese

Tytuvėnai Regional Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tytuvenai Monastery Former Bernardine (Franciscan) monasteries in Lithuania 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Lithuania Baroque architecture in Lithuania Roman Catholic churches in Lithuania 17th-century establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 17th-century establishments in Lithuania Tourist attractions in Šiauliai County