Švc. M. Marijos Emimo i dangu bažnycia / Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Vilnius (Lithuania) - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

Monumental Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Švc. M. Marijos Emimo i dangu bažnycia), one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in Vilnius, is also the chronicle of architectural styles and witness of many historic events.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as the Franciscan church (Pranciškonu bažnycia), as well as the Franciscan church on the Sands is located in the park in the Vilnius' Old Town colse to the Trakai street. The church is part of the Vilnius Franciscan convent. The first written documents about the convent and church are from year 1387, but these structures were twice destroyed by Crusaders in 1390 and 1399. The current magnificent Gothic core of the church was erected probably in 1410 and consecrated in 1421. During following centuries was church damaged by fires and military attacks many times (1533, 1665, 1702, 1737, 1748) and also many times it was reconstructed and rebuilt. During 17th and 18th century it was reshaped and rebuilt in the Baroque style and its curernt appearance is result of the last principal rebuilding in 1764. In the last 300 years was church and adjacent convent many times desconsecrated and used for profane purposes( granary, hospital, prison, archive, storage area...) and for its original function it served only in the era of the first Lithuanian Republic (1919-1939). Finally, after 50 years of closing, it was returned into hands of its original owner and founder, the Fransiscan order, in May 1998. Church was reconsecrated and now it is under complete renovation and is also used for daily Roman Catholic services in Polish and Lithuanian.