Church of St. Stephen, Vilnius
| Church of St. Stephen Šv. diakono Stepono bažnyčia | |
|---|---|
Façade of St. Stephen's with partly completed reconstruction in 2010 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Naujamiestis |
| Location | |
| Location | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Geographic coordinates | 54°40′10″N 25°16′35″E / 54.66944°N 25.27639°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Pietro de Rossi |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Renaissance |
| Completed | 1600 |
| Materials | plastered masonry |
Church of St. Stephen (Lithuanian: Vilniaus Šv. diakono Stepono bažnyčia, Polish: Kościół św. Szczepana w Wilnie) is a former Roman Catholic church in Naujamiestis, Vilnius. It was completed in 1600 and previously was used by the Brotherhood of Saint Roch.[1] Today, it stands in a warehouse yard and used as a theatre.[2][3][4] It was restored from a very poor condition.[5]
History
St Stephen's church was constructed in 1600 by Father Simonas Visockis of the Jesuits who collected money from the local townspeople to pay for its construction. It was constructed alongside the wooden St Lazarus' Hospital.[1] In 1604, it was the centre of the celebrations of the canonisation of St Casimir.[6] The celebrations are repeated yearly with a parade from Vilnius Cathedral through Vilnius Old Town to St Stephen's church, carrying a replica of the papal labarum that affirmed his canonisation.[7]
By 1612, the hospital and church were rebuilt. In 1655, it was involved in a fire that destroyed the hospital. In 1715, the Bishop of Vilnius handed the church over to the ownership of the Brotherhood of Saint Roch. In 1752, the church was given to the Mariavites, whom were granted permission by Pope Clement XII to incorporate St Stephen's as a part of a new monastery site.[1] In 1864, the Emperor of Russia Tsar Alexander II passed a decree ordering that the monastery be closed. The Russian state then took over St Stephen's and made it into the chapel of a new prison. During the Soviet Union, the church was made into a stonemasonry but it was damaged during the Second World War and then made into a warehouse before being transformed into a theatre.[1]
Design
St Stephen's Church is the only Renaissance church in Vilnius with sgraffito plasterwork. In 2015, the Lithuanian Department of Cultural Heritage and the Roman Catholic Church restored the church to preserve the sgraffito. The Department contributed €36,322 with the Archdiocese of Vilnius contributing €14,481.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "(Un)discovered Vilnius: St. Stephen's Church". Made in Vilnius. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "Vilniaus buvęs rokitų (vėliau marijavičių) vienuolynas ir Šv. Stepono bažnyčia". vienuolynai.mch.mii.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Šv. Stepono bažnyčia". VilniusGO.lt (in Lithuanian). 11 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Vilniaus Šv. diakono Stepono bažnyčia". Ltvirtove.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Pradėtas restauruoti Vilniaus Šv. Stepono bažnyčios sgrafitas". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). 8 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Pradėtas restauruoti Vilniaus Šv. Stepono bažnyčios sgrafitas". LRT (in Lithuanian). 8 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "Theatrical procession revives traditions of 400-year-old Kaziukas Fair". 15min.lt. Retrieved 1 April 2025.