Trinitors’ Monastery and the Church of the Saviour

Trinitors considered their mission during the Crusades to be redeeming Christians who were in captivity from the Muslims; however, even after the end of the Crusades, and during the battles between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire, the values of the Trinitors remained relevant.

The first monks who arrived in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from Spain at the invitation of the Hetman John Casimir Sapieha settled in the palace of the patron, and a year later the construction of a monastery started. There was a studies unit in which the Trinitor monks obtained education in philosophy and theology. The Church of the Saviour was designed by the Italian Giovanni Pietro Perti, who worked in the Church of St. Peter and Paul at the time.

The construction of the church was completed after 16 years of work. Its big altar featured a wooden statue of Jesus the Nazareth, which was delivered from Rome in 1700. It was created based on the miraculous sculpture of Ecce Hommo, which was stored in Madrid. It quickly became famous for miracles. Today you can see it on the left side of the altar in the Church St. Peter and St. Paul.

During the reign of Tsarist Russia, the church was turned into the Orthodox Church of St. Archangel Michael. For this reason, its appearance changed significantly.