Page 248 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

246  LITHU ANIA REGION B Y REGION

2 Church of Sts Peter and Paul
Šv Petro ir Povilo bažnyčia
With its breathtaking interior of over 2,000 white stucco
figures featuring angels and demons, biblical scenes and
some gruesome historical images, the Church of Sts Peter
and Paul is essentially a glorified Baroque mausoleum to its
wealthy patron, Michal Kazimierz Pac (1624–82). He was a
Lithuanian military leader and the provincial governor of
Vilnius. Pac’s portrait hangs by the altar, his crest is positioned
over the door and his body lies under the front steps. Built
over the remains of two earlier wooden churches, the second Twin-towered façade of the
of which was badly damaged during a brutal war with Church of Sts Peter and Paul
Moscow from 1655 to 1661, the church was intended to
stand as a lasting monument to peace.

Boat-Shaped Chandelier
A late addition to the interior and
a reference to St Peter’s profession
as a fisherman, the glass-bead
chandelier was made by Latvian
craftsmen in 1905.

Altar
The original high altar was replaced
by The Parting of St Peter and St Paul
(1801), created by the Polish
histo rical painter Pranciškus
Smuglevičius (1745–1807).

KEY
1 The interior is a fine ensemble
of exquisite stucco and richly
decorated chapels.
2 The inscription above the
balcony reads “Regina pacis funda
nos in pace” (“Queen of Peace protect . Chapel of the Holy Queens
us in peace”), probably a play on the The chapel to the north of the nave is rich in stucco.
patron’s name. The female figure perched over the arch giving a
coin to a beggar denotes compassion.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp304–305 and pp326–8

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