MUSEUM OF THE DIOCESE OF SAMOGITIA

The Museum of the Diocese of Samogitia is a division of the Samogitian Museum “Alka”, which was founded in the historic palace of the Samogitian Seminary in Varniai.

It is a museum space that brings together sacred treasures, masterpieces of art, historical and archaeological artefacts from several centuries of Samogitian shrines, dating back to the 15th-16th centuries in Samogitia. Through a multi-voiced, multi-layered narrative, the museum invites you to learn about the history of the Samogitian diocese, experience the spirit of the Baroque of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, admire the panorama of Varniai from the tower and see the authentic premises of the Samogitian Seminary.

More about the museum:

The first cathedral of the Samogitian diocese is believed to have stood on the site where the construction of a brick bell tower was started by the Samogitian Bishop Antanas Domininkas Tiškevičius in 1740. A few decades later, the bell tower was completed and the Samogitian seminary was built by Bishop Jonas Dominykas Lopacinskis. The building, which served as a seminary for a century, was designed by one of the most famous architects of the time, Jonas Kristupas Glaubics, and was closed down by Tsarist Russia after the 1864 uprising. After another difficult century in Lithuania, which dramatically changed the architectural heritage of the Samogitian Seminary, the palace became the home of the Samogitian Diocesan Museum. Today, the newly opened spaces of the palace invite visitors to stroll along the corridors and menus that were used by the last Bishop of Samogitian Bishop Motiejus Valančius, who resided in Varniai.

It is difficult to imagine the Museum of the Samogitian Diocese without the constant cooperation of the Church, the numerous specialists who have researched the history of religious life in Samogitia, the conservationists and heritage lovers, art collectors, the contribution of Vaidotas Žukas and his family, and the work of Antanas Ivinskis. For a long time, the religious life of Lithuania was suppressed by repression, torture, and finally the nationalisation of churches and religious buildings. Warehouses were set up in temples, and sacred art treasures were not only plundered but also deliberately destroyed. Lithuania's dramatic and complex history has meant that only a small part of Lithuania's sacred heritage has been preserved. However, the sacred heritage of Lithuanian churches, long hidden and sometimes forgotten or not properly appreciated, is today increasingly being opened to the public throughout Lithuania. Thanks to the efforts of many people, the Samogitian Episcopal Museum brings together sacred treasures, masterpieces of art, historical, cultural and archaeological artefacts from several centuries of Samogitian temples.

The multi-voiced, multi-layered narrative of the museum invites you to get to know the history of the Diocese of Samogitia. Through exceptional works of art, folk craftsmen, liturgical utensils and historical artefacts, you will learn about the history of Samogitian religious life and daily life. As you walk through the museum, you will experience the spirit of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which has left deep traces of piety in Žemaitija. You will also be transported back in time to the days when there was neither a seminary nor the first cathedral on the hill of the museum, but the first inhabitants of Varniai were laid to rest here.