The Interior of the Church of St Nicholas
The Church of St Nicholas is one of the oldest Gothic sacral buildings in Lithuania that features unchanged Gothic. These are four elegant octahedral pillars that support web and star vaults. After the renovation in the 18th century new altars and the organ loft of rococo style were built, and the side windows were enlarged. In 2002 the mural paintings of the 17th century were restored in the interior.
Interior of the Bernardine Church of St Francis and St Bernardine
The interior of the Church of St Francis of Assisi and St Bernardine of Siena (1500-1507) underwent lots of repairs in the course of five centuries, however, it has retained its unchanged original Gothic shape. In the lateral naves Gothic rib-and-panel vaults have survived (different vaults of the naves form the original motif that is not found in other Gothic sacral buildings). About 300 square metres of the walls are decorated with Gothic polychrome colourful frescoes. Baroque altars, the pulpit, the organ and other elements render cosiness to the Church; enliven the strict graphics of the Gothic lines.
The Interior of the Church of St Archangel Michael
Vilnius Church of St Archangel Michael was commissioned by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Leo Sapieha as a mausoleum for his family (built 1594-1627). Late Nordic Renaissance and early Baroque merge in this interior. Ornamental plaster ribs with the Sapiehas’ coat-of-arms of Lublin style decorate the magnificent cylinder vault. The rare late Renaissance altar made of black, red, brown and dark green marble and white alabaster decorates the tombstones of the Sapieha family. A museum of religious heritage is established in the church.
St Casimir’s Chapel in Vilnius Cathedral
St Casimir’s Chapel in Vilnius Cathedral is one of the best examples of Europe’s early (the exterior) and late Baroque (the interior) (1623-1636). It was built as a sanctuary of Prince Casimir Jagiellon cannonised in 1604. The Chapel was designed by King Sigismund Vasa and his son Ladislas Vasa’s architect Constantino Tencalla. Its main highlights are the frescoes and the stucco relief work by the Italian masters of the 17th century Pietro Perti and Michelangelo Palloni. The Chapel holds the sarcophagus of the Lithuanian patron saint St Casimir.
The Interior of the Church of St Peter and St Paul
Vilnius Church of St Peter and St Paul with its exceptional interior is the most exquisite Baroque monument in Vilnius (1668 – 1675). About two thousand stucco mouldings by the masters from the Como region in Italy Giovanni Pietro Perti and Giovanni Maria Galli have survived in the church since the 17th century. Its sculptural groups are arranged in a complex way according to the principle of the “world theatre”: the God spectator on the ridge of the cupola watches biblical, historical, mythical and allegoric figures, representatives of various nations, social strata and professions, fantastic and demonic beings, plants, animals, celestial bodies, military, liturgical and daily objects.
Baroque Sacral Interiors
Interiors of Vilnius Baroque churches fascinate one with their ornamentation and elaboration. The famous Vilnius baroque architect Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas (Jan Cristophor Glaubitz, 1737–1767) designed for Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Lutheran (he himself belonged to this community) churches. In the middle of the 18th century the great master created the Baroque iconostasis for the Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit. The interior of the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit is yet another excellent monument of late Baroque. Apart from 16 altars made from artificial marble, exceptionally original Baroque organ (master Adam Casparini) has survived (1776).
Interiors of the „Narutis“ hotel
There are almost 280 houses with Gothic cellars in Vilnius Old town. Some of the Gothic cellars and walls can be seen at the Narutis hotel. The hotel also shows exciting decor of the former halls of the Vilnius university Collegium Nobilium and Collegium Medicum as well as a Rector‘s apartment from the 18th century.
The Smuglevičius (Franciszek Smuglewicz) Hall in Vilnius University Library
During the time of the Jesuit Academy this Hall housed the refectory. After a fire in 1749 the Hall was lavishly decorated with rich Baroque stuccos and furnished with stylish carved pieces of furniture. Later, during the time of the Educational Commission, the Hall was turned into a library. In 1803 it was renovated and Franciszek Smuglewicz decorated its vaults and walls in the spirit of the Enlightenment ideas. At the present time there is a reading room of the Library in the Hall.
Neo-Classicist interiors
The interior of the Chodkiewicz estate (1825) is one of the rare interiors of late classicist style in Vilnius that has survived almost completely. Carefully restored it is adapted for expositions of Vilnius Picture Gallery. Elaborate Russian Empire style interiors open up in the Presidential (former Governor’s, 1825) palace. The Blue, White, Red and Green halls can be seen there.
The Lobby and the Hall of the Palace of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
The palace of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is situated in the building of the former Russian State Bank – the most luxurious bank built in Vilnius before the First World War (architect Mikhail Prozorov, 1905). This is a representative building of Modern style, which adorned the centre of the town being formed at that time and symbolised luxury of the owners who built it. Interiors of the lobby and the hall are highlighted by rich decor.
The Interior of the cafe “Neringa” (Gedimino ave. 23)
The opening of the café “Neringa” in 1959 (architects Algimantas and Vytautas Nasvyčiai) pioneered modernism in architecture of that time, which announced the end of pompous Stalinism and declared the rebirth of the Lithuanian school of architecture. The café “Neringa” became a meeting place of artists, intelligentsia, bohemia; the cradle of modernism and jazz. Various natural materials (wood, metal, glass), modern mural painting (V. Jankauskas, V. Povilaitis, tempera, 1959), the plaster bas-relief (J. Kėdainis) were used for the décor of the interior.
