Wanderlust: If It's Not Baroque...

Baroque is not a style I would want in, say, my home, but it fascinates me when I see it in churches. Maybe that's because it takes so much time and effort that it must be a labor of love. It is a style that shows such a remarkable reverence... that someone would go to that much effort to try to demonstrate the greatness they see in God. As you peruse these pictures of Vilnius, pause at the baroque churches and just try to imagine having one of these ornate buildings as your hometown church. Would it change your church-going experience to be surrounded by all of this?

This is one of the gates to the city (Gates of Dawn), which has a chapel to Mary inside.

This is the icon inside the chapel.

Church of St. Theresa.

Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit.

Gate to Trinity Church.

The church itself is in a bad state of repair, but is under renovation.

Note the faint paintings in these outdoor alcoves.

St. Casimir's Jesuit Church. (He is considered a patron saint of Lithuania and is interred in another church in Vilnius.)

The philharmonic. (I'm not sure if you can see it, but the shield contains an image of St. Christopher, one of my favorites.)

The large town hall square.

And some random, but beautiful buildings.

Church of the Holy Spirit.

Franciscan Church of the Assumption. (Undergoing renovation.)

Church of Saint Catherine.

Vilnius University.

Which also has it's own church, St. John's.

St. Anne's and St. Bernadines, which are physically attached. (OK, St. Anne's is clearly gothic, but it can't all be baroque.)

(Brick gothic, actually, which I don't believe is terribly common.)

The three crosses that sit on the hill overlooking the city.

And now on to my favorite of all of the churches here, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. I love this church for several reasons. The all-white interior makes it easy on the eyes. (Sometimes the glut of color in baroque can be a bit much for me.)

It still has all of the intricate detail of typical baroque buildings, which is what makes me enjoy the style in the first place.

And, interestingly, the artwork not only pays reverance through beauty, but it also teaches. The church is filled with statues of saints, each bearing their classic symbols that help the followers recall the stories of each.

My favorite example of education is the depiction of the beatitudes, as you can see below, where the words are provided alongside statues depicting those that are blessed.