St. Anne’s Church: the small brick masterpiece Napoleon supposedly wanted to carry home in his hand
A Vilnius, in Lituania, una prima chiesa in legno sorse su questo sito per iniziativa del granduca Vytautas il Grande in onore della moglie Anna, documentata dal 1394 e distrutta da un incendio, secondo Wikipedia, nel 1419. La chiesa in mattoni che si vede oggi fu commissionata dal granduca Alessandro I Jagellone e costruita all’incirca tra il 1495 e il 1500; l’identità dell’architetto resta di fatto incerta, con attribuzioni ipotetiche a Michael Enkinger o a Benedikt Rejt, nessuna delle quali però sostenuta da fonti scritte coeve, e va quindi considerata speculativa. L’edificio, in stile tardogotico fiammeggiante e in mattoni, fu realizzato con 33 tipi diversi di mattoni appositamente sagomati e cotti, ed è spesso descritto, sebbene si tratti di un giudizio ricorrente nella letteratura turistica più che di una classifica accertata, come uno dei migliori esempi di architettura gotica fiammeggiante in laterizio dell’Europa settentrionale. Alla chiesa è legata una celebre leggenda secondo cui Napoleone Bonaparte, di passaggio a Vilnius nel 1812 durante la campagna di Russia, ne sarebbe rimasto talmente colpito da desiderare di poterla portare a Parigi “sul palmo della mano”; la citazione, tuttavia, compare per la prima volta a stampa solo nel 1859, nella guida di Vilnius di Adam Honory Kirkor, decenni dopo i fatti, e va quindi considerata tradizione popolare, non un fatto storico documentato — con una nota di colore meno romantica: le truppe napoleoniche, secondo le stesse fonti, utilizzarono di fatto la chiesa come deposito o scuderia durante l’occupazione. La chiesa sorge accanto alla più grande Chiesa dei Bernardini, dedicata a San Francesco d’Assisi, e al relativo monastero, formando insieme il cosiddetto complesso bernardino, uno dei principali insiemi architettonici di Vilnius. A differenza di molte altre chiese della città, Sant’Anna rimase aperta durante il periodo sovietico e fu persino restaurata tra il 1960 e il 1970; oggi è una chiesa cattolica attiva, dedicata dal giugno 2018 alla celebrazione del rito tridentino, ed è comunemente descritta come uno degli edifici più fotografati di Vilnius.
About St. Anne’s Church
In Vilnius, Lithuania, an earlier wooden church stood on this site on the initiative of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great in honor of his wife Anna, documented from 1394 and destroyed by fire, according to Wikipedia, in 1419. The brick church seen today was commissioned by Grand Duke Alexander I Jagiellon and built roughly between 1495 and 1500; the architect’s identity remains genuinely uncertain, with speculative attributions to Michael Enkinger or Benedikt Rejt, neither supported by contemporary written sources, and should be treated as unresolved. The building, in Flamboyant Gothic brick style, was constructed using 33 different types of specially shaped and fired brick, and is often described, though this is a recurring assessment in travel literature more than an established ranking, as among the finest examples of Flamboyant Gothic brick architecture in Northern Europe. A famous legend attaches to the church: that Napoleon Bonaparte, passing through Vilnius in 1812 during his Russian campaign, was so struck by it that he wished he could carry it back to Paris “in the palm of his hand”; the quote, however, first appears in print only in 1859, in Adam Honory Kirkor’s guide to Vilnius, decades after the events, and should be treated as popular tradition rather than documented history — with a less romantic footnote: Napoleon’s troops, according to the same sources, actually used the church as a storehouse or stable during the occupation. The church stands beside the larger Bernardine Church, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, and its monastery, together forming the so-called Bernardine ensemble, one of Vilnius’s major architectural complexes. Unlike many other churches in the city, St. Anne’s remained open throughout the Soviet period and was even renovated between 1960 and 1970; today it is an active Catholic church, designated since June 2018 for the celebration of the Tridentine rite, and is commonly described as one of the most photographed buildings in Vilnius.
Key facts
- 1394-1419: an earlier wooden church, built for Grand Duke Vytautas’s wife Anna, later burns
- c. 1495-1500: the present brick church built, its architect unrecorded
- 33 types of specially shaped and fired brick used in construction
- The Napoleon legend, first recorded in print only in 1859, decades after 1812
- Part of the Bernardine ensemble, beside the larger Bernardine Church and monastery
- Since 2018, designated for the Tridentine rite, still an active Catholic church
History
St. Anne’s survival through the Soviet period, remaining open and even restored between 1960 and 1970 while many other Vilnius churches were closed or repurposed, sets it apart within the city’s broader religious architectural history. The romantic Napoleon legend attached to it, first printed nearly half a century after the events it describes, sits in genuine tension with the documented, far less flattering fact that French troops used the building as a stable during the actual 1812 occupation.
What you see
A small, densely ornamented brick facade rises in Flamboyant Gothic style, its 33 varieties of specially fired brick creating a texture and silhouette distinct from the larger stone Gothic cathedrals of Northern Europe. Beside it, the larger Bernardine Church and monastery complex frames the smaller building, together forming one of Vilnius’s most recognizable architectural ensembles.
Practical information
- Opening hours: generally open daily outside services; check current hours before visiting
- Address: Maironio g. 8, Vilnius, Lithuania
Getting there
St. Anne’s Church stands in Vilnius’s Old Town, easily reached on foot within the historic centre. GPS: 54°40′59″N, 25°17′36″E.
Nearby
- Bernardine Church and Monastery — the larger adjoining complex
- Historic Centre of Vilnius — the surrounding UNESCO World Heritage old town
Sources
- Wikipedia — “Church of St. Anne, Vilnius” (en.wikipedia.org)
- Go Vilnius — official Vilnius tourism site, “Church of St. Anne and Bernardine Complex”
- Lithuania Travel — official national tourism site
Find it on the map
See this place and what’s around it →📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto