About the Church
The Roman Catholic Church of St Peter in Chains at Daugavpils stands in the city centre, on Riga Street, in the city of Daugavpils. It belongs to the Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona and is the oldest surviving Catholic church in Daugavpils.
The foundation stone was blessed in 1845, and construction to a design by the architect A. Straubert was completed in 1848; on 29 June of that year the church was consecrated by the priest Obermiler. In 1924–1934, through the efforts of the parish priest Adam Vizulis, the church was substantially rebuilt and enlarged.
It is a Classicist plastered masonry church with a semicircular apse and a prominent portico; its three-aisled interior is crowned by a white dome with a lantern, and in front of the church stands a colonnade of half-columns, inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome, designed by Michelangelo. Because of this resemblance the church is often called a reflection of the Vatican basilica. The building is protected as an architectural monument of national significance.
The foundation stone was blessed in 1845, and construction to a design by the architect A. Straubert was completed in 1848; on 29 June of that year the church was consecrated by the priest Obermiler. In 1924–1934, through the efforts of the parish priest Adam Vizulis, the church was substantially rebuilt and enlarged.
It is a Classicist plastered masonry church with a semicircular apse and a prominent portico; its three-aisled interior is crowned by a white dome with a lantern, and in front of the church stands a colonnade of half-columns, inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome, designed by Michelangelo. Because of this resemblance the church is often called a reflection of the Vatican basilica. The building is protected as an architectural monument of national significance.