Church of St. Casimir

The oldest Baroque church in Vilnius, containing a portrait of the saint with three hands

The Church of St. Casimir on Didžioji Street is the oldest Baroque church in Vilnius, built by the Jesuits between 1604 and 1618. St. Casimir was a 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian prince who died young and was canonised, becoming Lithuania's patron saint. The church was dedicated to him, though it has had various other uses over the centuries including as a granary under Napoleon and as a museum of atheism during the Soviet period.

The interior is relatively restrained by Baroque standards, with a distinctive crown-topped dome that is visible from several points in the old town. The three-handed portrait of St. Casimir — a 16th-century painting hanging in a side chapel — draws pilgrims and the curious in equal measure. The church is active and holds regular services; visitors are welcome outside service hours.

things to do sight church old town
A story
The church contains a famous 16th-century painting of St. Casimir in which the saint appears to have three hands. According to the legend, an artist painted over a third hand but it kept reappearing miraculously. Art historians attribute the anomaly to a botched restoration, but the miraculous explanation is more entertaining and is widely believed.

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