SW AT-066 Vilnius, Capital of Lithuania

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania. It is the largest city with a population of 539,939 (806,308 together with Vilnius County) as of 2014. Vilnius is located in the southeast part of Lithuania. Vilnius is known for its Old Town of beautiful architecture which is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

In modern days, Vilnius has been rapidly transformed and the town has emerged as a modern European city. Many of its older buildings have been renovated and a business and commercial area is being developed into the New City Centre, expected to become the city's main administrative and business district on the north side of the Neris river.

But it is the Old Town which is very interesting.  This postcard shows three interesting places in the bottom 3 panels.

On the left is (a) The Church of St Michael.  It was built by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Leonas Sapiega between 1594 and 1597 for a convent of Bernardine nuns and also to serve as a family mausoleum.    The adjoining bell tower was built in the 18th century. In 2009 the Church opened as the Church Heritage Museum.

In the centre panel of the postcard is (b) The Gate of Dawn (Lithuanian: Aušros Vartai)  It is a city-gate of Vilnius and one of the most important religious, historical and cultural monuments in the city. It was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, said to have miraculous powers.

The right panel shows (c) St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (Lithuanian: Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo bažnyčia). It is a Roman Catholic church and is considered a Lithuanian Baroque masterpiece. The church is a basilica built on a traditional cross plan with a lantern dome allowing extra light into its white interior. The inscription surrounding the base of the dome is the same as that of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

The top panel shows a view of Vilnius.  This postcard came from Greta Gedutytė (6 May 2014) Swap-bot.