Cathedral Basilica of apostles St. Peter and St. Paul of Kaunas ( lt, Kauno Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo katedra bazilika) is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...
in
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
,
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
.
History
The exact date when the first
Gothic style
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
church dedicated to
apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
and
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, was built is unknown, but it was first mentioned in written sources in 1413. The first
parochial school
A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The wo ...
in Kaunas at the St. Peter and St. Paul church was mentioned in 1473. The construction works were concluded only in
1624.
The church greatly suffered from
the 1655 military campaign and was rebuilt in 1671, gaining some
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
features. Only one of the towers was rebuilt after the fire of the roof in 1732. As a part of renovation, the internal decorations were funded by the King
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarc ...
in 1771. The main altar, a lectern and a choir were installed by Tomasz Podhajski in 1775.
The present-day shape of the building results from a further renovation in 1800. The church was promoted to cathedral status by
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...
in 1895. It received the basilica title in 1926, when the Diocese of
Samogitia was reorganized into the
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas by
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...
. The building was included on the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Lithuania in 1996.
The Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites: Unique object code: 842. Retrieved on 14 March 2011. Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
visited the cathedral on 23. September 2018.
Architecture
The cathedral, being 84 m long, 28 m height and 34 m wide, is the largest Gothic church in Lithuania. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of th ...
, built in 1895, is an independent extension of the southern nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
with carved wood furnishings in the neo-gothic style.
Burials
* Motiejus Valančius
Motiejus Kazimieras Valančius ( pl, , 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.
Bio ...
, the bishop of Samogitia, who was also an historian and one of the best known Lithuanian writers of the 19th century, was interred in a crypt
A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...
of the church in 1875.
* There is also a Neogothic mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be cons ...
of Maironis, one of the most famous Lithuanian romantic poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...
s, near the wall of the chapel.
* Lithuanian Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...
Vincentas Sladkevičius was also buried in the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica in 2000.
Image:Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Kaunas, Lithuania, 2017).jpg, Exterior
Image:Entrance of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul church (Kaunas, Lithuania, 2017).jpg, Entrance
Image:Kauno arkikatedra1 2007-07-22.jpg, Crypt
Image:Kaunas Cathedral, Kaunas, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg, Interior from entrance
Image:Kaunas KaunasCathedral 01.jpg, Interior ceiling
Image:Kaunas Kathedrale-Basilika St Peter und Paul Innenraum.JPG, Interior (main altar)
Image:Kaunas-Peter und Paul kirche02.jpg, Main altar (current)
Image:Kaunas Cathedral altar.jpg, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of Kaunas Cathedral
Image:Kaunas Kathedrale-Basilika St Peter und Paul Orgel.JPG, Organ
Image:Maironis 2009-04-22-2.JPG, Mausoleum of Maironis
See also
* Gothic architecture in Lithuania
References
External links
Kaunas Cathedral Basilica websitePilgrim Route of John Paul II. Lithuania websitePostage stamps - Lithuanian churches
Post Office of Lithuania.
{{Authority control
Roman Catholic churches in Kaunas
Cathedral Basilica
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Lithuania
Brick Gothic
Basilica churches in Lithuania
Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Objects listed in Lithuanian Registry of Cultural Property