National Museum the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Contacts
Address: Katedros aikštė 3, LT-01100, Vilnius.
Tel. (+370 ~ 5) 212 74 76.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 212 74 70.
E-mail: info@valdovurumai.lt
http://www.valdovurumai.lt/
Director – dr. Vydas Dolinskas.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 8–17; Friday 8–15.45.
Lunch 12–12.45.

Exhibitions
Since the year 2004 exhibitions and expositions that aim to simulate permanent expositions of reconstructed Ruler’s Palace are being organized in the Museum of Applied Art.
Exhibitions can be visited in the Museum of Applied Art:
Exhibition 'Artefacts from the Royal Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania' (since 6 July, 2005).
Excursions to these exhibitions can be ordered by phone (+370 ~ 5) 212 18 13.
Former exhibitions:
Exhibition 'The Art of the Balts' (5 July, 2009 – 18 April, 2010).
Exhibition 'Lithuania in Ancient Historical Sources' (5 July, 2009 – 4 October, 2009).
Exhibition 'Wawel in Vilnius. From the Jagiellonians to the End of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth' (5 July – 4 October, 2009).

History of the Palace
In Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, grand dukes had their residences in Lower as well as in Upper Castle. Until the end of the 15th c. the main place of residence remained the Upper Castle where the remains of the gothic palace can be seen until nowadays. During the 15th c. grand dukes of Lituania also liked in live in the castles of Trakai.
Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon (1492–1506) moved his residence from the Upper to the Lower Castle.
The period of 16th and 17th centuries was the time of prosperity for the Vilnius residence of the grand dukes of Lithuania and the kings of Poland. Legates from the Holy See, Holy Roman Empire, Moscow, Hungary, Turkey, Persia, France, Spain, Venice, Toscana, Mantua, Ferrara and many other places used to be received in the Palace, political goals of the of the last Jagiellonians and Vasas were pursued, privileges were granted, the Council of Lords and Sejm gathered, Statute of Lithuania was edited, trials were organized, Lithuanian Metrica and the treasury were kept, money were forged. Sigismund Augustus accumulated a huge library, impressive collections of tapestries, armours, paintings, and hunting trophies. A gorgeous residence surrounded by the picturesque park had become a centre of Renaissance and Early Baroque culture and art not only in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but also in all over Central Eastern and Northern Europe.
The prosperity of Vilnius’ Palace ended in 1655 with the Muscovite and Cossack armies’ occupation of Lithuania’s capital for 6 years. Armies devastated and looted the Palace of the Grand Dukes as it served as a shelter for them. In 1661 the Palace was devastated repeatedly when efforts were made to banish the enemy. A deplorable state of the treasury was the main obstacle for the reconstruction of the Vilnius’ Palace.
During 1799–1801 Russian Tsarist administration initiated the demolition Palace’s remains. Consistent archaeological examination of wider scope of the territory of the former Palace was started only in 1987. During the excavation more than 3 00 000 various findings have been collected. During 2000–2001 the Government and the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania had accepted resolutions on the matter of reconstruction of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in the Lower Castle. It is planned to open the Palace in 2009. It should contain permanent expositions with partially reconstructed historical environments. Besides, educational activities, exhibitions, concerts, conferences and events of the State representation are going to be organized in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.