Vilnius - Šv. Teresės bažnyčia

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North".

The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights.

Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centers in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

In 1621, the Carmelites began building a monastery at Medininkai Gate (see background at right).

Behind the city walls, the Carmelites operated a brickyard in the 17th century. With the support of the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, construction of the new brick church of St. Teresa began in 1633.

The construction was completed in 1650. In 1760 the church burned down and was rebuilt. After the fire, a vaulted roof was covered and a bell tower was built. In 1763-1765 the interior was decorated with sculptures and frescoes in rococo style.

During the war of 1812, French soldiers destroyed the interior of the church. After the war the church was restored. In 1844 the tsarist government closed the monastery. Almost a hundred years later the Carmelites returned to Vilnius, but after the Second World War the monastery was closed again and the activities of the Carmelites in Vilnius ceased.

In the second half of the 19th century the church was partially restored. From 1861 to 1915 it housed a girls' school. In 1927-1929 the restoration of the church took place. In 1971-1976 the interior of the church was restored.