About the Church
The Church of St James the Apostle in Kurtuvėnai, in the small town of Kurtuvėnai in Šiauliai district, is one of the finest examples of late Baroque architecture in Lithuania. It is not only a religious but also a cultural and historical monument, telling of the long and complicated life of this region.
The first church in Kurtuvėnai was built as early as the 15th century, between 1472 and 1495, on the initiative of Mykolas Jogelavičius. At that time the church stood on the Kurtuvėnai hillfort. It was also mentioned in 1597, when it had a bell tower with two bells and a presbytery. The parish also owned a mill on the Dubysa river and a farm. However, at the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century the church was taken over by the Evangelical Reformed, who later, in 1614, built their own church in Kurtuvėnai. Unfortunately, this church fell into ruin at the end of the 17th century.
In 1684 the Catholic community built a new church, but the present church of Kurtuvėnai was not built until 1783–1796, funded by the Nagurskis family, to a design by Martynas Knakfusas. This church stands out for its late Baroque architecture, hall-church structure and two-towered facade. Inside it has three naves, giving a sense of spaciousness and grandeur.
A wooden bell tower stands on the church grounds, and the churchyard wall is of masonry, which further emphasises the monumentality of the whole ensemble. The church also has a chapel, built in the cemetery in 1858.
The history of the parish is especially interesting and rich. A parish school operated here from 1804, and a branch of the Lithuanian Catholic Temperance Society from 1908 to 1914. Bells and liturgical furnishings were brought here from the Jesuit church of Pašiaušė in 1835.
Unfortunately, in the 20th century the Kurtuvėnai church was struck by various misfortunes. The Gordai filial church, which had belonged to the parish since 1858, lost its priest in 1859. Later, in the early 20th century, when Russian colonists divided up the Gordai manor, the church's land was seized, and the church itself was ravaged and its organ damaged. The Second World War did not spare the Kurtuvėnai church either – it burned down.
Despite all these hardships, the Church of St James the Apostle in Kurtuvėnai has remained important both to local residents and to visitors. Its two towers, rising above the small town of Kurtuvėnai, symbolise strength and endurance. Here one can also visit the grave of the church's founder, Jokūbas Nagurskis, which forms a kind of bridge between past and present.
This church is not merely a place of worship; it is a place where history, culture and spiritual tradition intertwine. Every visitor to the Church of St James the Apostle in Kurtuvėnai can feel its special aura and discover the rich history of Lithuanian culture and faith.
The first church in Kurtuvėnai was built as early as the 15th century, between 1472 and 1495, on the initiative of Mykolas Jogelavičius. At that time the church stood on the Kurtuvėnai hillfort. It was also mentioned in 1597, when it had a bell tower with two bells and a presbytery. The parish also owned a mill on the Dubysa river and a farm. However, at the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century the church was taken over by the Evangelical Reformed, who later, in 1614, built their own church in Kurtuvėnai. Unfortunately, this church fell into ruin at the end of the 17th century.
In 1684 the Catholic community built a new church, but the present church of Kurtuvėnai was not built until 1783–1796, funded by the Nagurskis family, to a design by Martynas Knakfusas. This church stands out for its late Baroque architecture, hall-church structure and two-towered facade. Inside it has three naves, giving a sense of spaciousness and grandeur.
A wooden bell tower stands on the church grounds, and the churchyard wall is of masonry, which further emphasises the monumentality of the whole ensemble. The church also has a chapel, built in the cemetery in 1858.
The history of the parish is especially interesting and rich. A parish school operated here from 1804, and a branch of the Lithuanian Catholic Temperance Society from 1908 to 1914. Bells and liturgical furnishings were brought here from the Jesuit church of Pašiaušė in 1835.
Unfortunately, in the 20th century the Kurtuvėnai church was struck by various misfortunes. The Gordai filial church, which had belonged to the parish since 1858, lost its priest in 1859. Later, in the early 20th century, when Russian colonists divided up the Gordai manor, the church's land was seized, and the church itself was ravaged and its organ damaged. The Second World War did not spare the Kurtuvėnai church either – it burned down.
Despite all these hardships, the Church of St James the Apostle in Kurtuvėnai has remained important both to local residents and to visitors. Its two towers, rising above the small town of Kurtuvėnai, symbolise strength and endurance. Here one can also visit the grave of the church's founder, Jokūbas Nagurskis, which forms a kind of bridge between past and present.
This church is not merely a place of worship; it is a place where history, culture and spiritual tradition intertwine. Every visitor to the Church of St James the Apostle in Kurtuvėnai can feel its special aura and discover the rich history of Lithuanian culture and faith.
Gallery and Resources
Archive captions are shown in Lithuanian.
Kompozicijoje – Kurtuvėnų Šv. apaštalo Jokūbo bažnyčia.
Signuotas akvarele averso apatinėje dalyje dešinėje ir pieštuku reverse.
Kurtuvėnų miestelio bažnyčia.