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The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Vilkomir seen from the castle hill, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Facade of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Interior of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Decoration of St. Peter and Paul's Church in Wiłkomierz, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Decoration of the choir of St. Peter and Paul's Church in Wiłkomierz, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Image of Our Lady of Grace from the Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz, mid-18th century., photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2015, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
Bell tower at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2024, all rights reserved
Fotografia przedstawiająca Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz
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ID: POL-002145-P

Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz

Vilnius | Lithuania
lit. Vilnius
ID: POL-002145-P

Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Wiłkomierz

Vilnius | Lithuania
lit. Vilnius

The church in Vylkomyr is an example of a local classicist implementation, using fieldstone as building material and decorative elements. It was built in one of the oldest towns in Lithuania, which is mentioned in sources from 1225.

The town of Vilkomiry is extremely important, as it was the capital of the Vilkomiry district and was the site of a regional assembly. In the Middle Ages there was a fortified town, of which traces remain on one of the hills surrounding the town. In the 15th century, a small walled castle - the seat of the starost - was erected elsewhere. The fortress was destroyed during the 1655-1660 wars, and Russian barracks were later built in its place. The importance of the centre is also evidenced by the fact that there have been two churches in Vilkomir over the centuries. The older one, a parish church, and the younger one, dating from 1742, belonging to the Piarists (converted into a cinema-theatre in 1965, and a Roman Catholic church again in 1994), who ran a school next to it. It is also worth noting the existence of two synagogues and an Orthodox church, built before 1869.

. An interesting and important building is the Church of Sts Peter and Paul, which was built between 1800-1820 (rebuilt between 1894-1896 and 1931-1939 by Wacław Michniewicz), on the site of an earlier parish church. It is a rectangular-plan, three-nave but towerless building. Its walls were built of fieldstone, which was juxtaposed with plastered elements. The façade is dominated by a portico with two pairs of columns, bearing a beam and a flattened triangular pediment surmounted by a figure of Christ with a cross. There are pilasters at the edges. Decorative vases, figures of angels and statues of St Peter and St Paul add to the picturesqueness of the church.

It is worth noting that this is not the only church decorated with stone in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Others include the church in Kalvėry (1800-1806) and the temple in Turgėliai (1836-1837) with the chapel of the Kobylinskis (1850) in the local cemetery. Residences, such as that of the Tyzenhauza family in Rakiški (1st half of 19th century), were also built using this technique. The characteristic motif of stone in the façades of the above-mentioned buildings, including the church in Viłkowyszki, is not accidental, but refers directly to the naturalistic currents present in the architecture of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In addition, and not coincidentally, such building material was cheap in Lithuania.

The interior of the church is decorated with polychrome paintings from the end of the 19th century, which are reminiscent of Classicism. The vault paintings of the nave show the 12 Apostles in medallions, which is linked to the church's name and is an interpretation of the faith and a personification of the Apostles' Creed. The modest stucco decoration was created in the 1930s.

. The altars in the church are wooden. The main altar contains the painting "Meeting of St Peter and St Paul", which is a copy of the painting in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Antokolė in Vilnius by Franciszek Smuglewicz. The two side altars are dedicated to Christ Crucified and the Virgin Mary. The church has also preserved paintings that certainly date from the earlier church, including 18th-century images of Christ at the Post and Our Lady of Grace (decorated with a metol crown and moon). Earlier, however, is a small painting showing Mary with the infant Jesus in a half pose. This image is covered by a cloth.
Next to the church is a two-storey bell tower built of stone with a wooden gallery, covered by a hipped roof. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century and decorated with classicist detailing.

Related persons:
Time of origin:
1800-1820, 1894-1896, 1931-1939
Supplementary bibliography:
Publikacja:
05.08.2024
Ostatnia aktualizacja:
05.08.2024
Author:
dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz.
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