Telšiai Cathedral

Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra
Basic information
Location	Telšiai, Lithuania
Geographic coordinates	55°58′56″N 22°14′47″E / 55.98222°N 22.24639°ECoordinates: 55°58′56″N 22°14′47″E / 55.98222°N 22.24639°E
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Year consecrated	1794
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Architectural style	Baroque and Classicism
Materials	plastered masonry

The Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua (Lithuanian: Telšių Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Telšiai, Lithuania, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai.

History

Two-storey interior of the cathedral

The history of the church dates back to 1624 when Deputy Chancellor of Lithuania Paweł Stefan Sapieha established a Franciscan monastery and built a wooden church on the Insula hill in the centre of Telšiai.^[1] A new spacious brick church was constructed between 1762 and 1794. The tower was built in 1859. In 1893 architect Piotras Serbinovičius designed the fence and gates of the churchyard.

After the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai in 1926, the church became a cathedral. Three Bishops of Telšiai, Justinas Staugaitis, Vincentas Borisevičius and Pranciškus Ramanauskas, are buried in the cathedral's tomb.^[2]

Architecture

The cathedral reflects features of Baroque and Classicism. Its plan is rectangular. It has one tower and a three-wall apse. The cathedral's nave is bordered by two aisles, separated by piers. Artist Jurgis Mažeika designed seven altars.

Telšiai Cathedral is the only church in Lithuania which has a two-storey altar.^[2]

References

1. Butrimas, Adomas (1998). "Telšių buvęs bernardinų vienuolynas ir Šv. Antano Paduviečio bažnyčia". In Rūta Janonienė, Dalia Klajumienė. Lietuvos vienuolynai. Vadovas. Vilniaus dailės akademija. ISBN 9986-571-39-1.
2. "Telšių Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra". Lithuanian State Department of Tourism. 2004. Retrieved 2012-12-02.