New Museum in Vilnius is open for public

| 2009.10.22

Church Heritage Museum is based at St. Michael‘s Church in Vilnius old town. Church heritage forms a great and highly important part of the Lithuanian cultural heritage. The exposition includes paintings, liturgical articles, historical documents and books as well as other objects of historical and aesthetic value. Church Heritage Museum offers a range of different activities and programs to schoolchildren, adults, and seniors.

Church Heritage Museum was founded by Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis on the 7th of October, 2005. Since 2006, Church Heritage Museum has organized five thematic exhibitions in the Lithuanian National Museum (inaugural exhibition of the Church Heritage Museum; exhibition dedicated to Vilnius Bishop Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis (1871-1927), jubilee exhibition of Salvinija Giedrimienė, exhibition dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Lithuanian Jesuits Province, exhibition dedicated to inexhaustible treasures of heaven, Celebration of 600th anniversary of the Parish Church of Trakai) and the exhibition of Vilnius Cathedral treasures at Warsaw Castle and Vavel Palace in Krakow.

Church Heritage Museum is based at St. Michael’s Church in Vilnius. Restoration of this house of worship and adjacent Bernardine monastery started in 2005. Restoration of the monastery was completed in 2008 and of the church – 2009.

Church heritage (paintings, liturgical articles, historical documents and books) forms great and highly important part of the Lithuanian cultural heritage. Internal exposition of the church includes the most valuable exhibits of the museum that come form from the following houses of worship in Vilnius: the Cathedral, churches of St. Peter and Paul, St. Michael, St. Theresa. Heart of the exposition – monstrance and reliquaries from Vilnius Cathedral treasury – is a telltale witness of devotion tradition and goldsmith masterpieces. Glass display cases containing splendid examples of liturgical textile, other artistic church articles open new pages of a rich Lithuanian Church history and sacral art.

The treasuries meet all modern museum requirements and ensure proper conditions for storage of collections and provide possibilities for their expansion by accepting liturgical articles taken out from use and other objects with historical and aesthetic value.

General information:
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Saturday, 11.00 – 18.00
Closed on Sunday, Monday and national holidays.

Admission Fees:
Usual fee - 8 Lt.
Seniors, students - 4 Lt.
Children under 6, disabled visitors, members of the ICOM, AICA, journalists - Free
Admission is free for everyone on the last Friday of every month.

Contact:
Šv. Mykolo st. 9
LT-01124 Vilnius
Tel. (+370 ~ 5) 269 78 03
Tel./fax (8 ~ 5) 269 78 01
[email protected]
www.bpmuziejus.lt