The Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the Bernardine Monastery

The ensemble of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the Bernardine Monastery is a rare example of Renaissance and early Baroque architecture in Lithuania. The elegant church, built at the initiative of the Grand Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Leon Sapiega, in the early 17th century, became the Sapiega family mausoleum.

The monastery buildings adjacent to the church was a home to Bernardine nuns who had taken a strict vow of enclosure. The nuns were only allowed to leave the monastery premises in case of war, plague, or fire. The monastery was closed and abandoned, but architectural details of the ensemble have survived to this day, testifying to the secluded life of the sisterhood.

After restoration, the Museum of Ecclesiastical Heritage was established in part of the former monastery buildings. The previously closed and inaccessible monastery spaces are now open to the public and invite visitors to learn about ecclesiastical relics and the history of the clergy. Visitors to the museum are intrigued not only by the spaces of the ensemble but also by the usually closed church towers and the impressive attic with authentic wooden roof structures.

This ensemble still bears the memory of a long monastic history. The architecture, representing the old historical times, has today become a reflection of that era, but at the same time, it is an integral place that responds to contemporary needs.