National Museum of Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania

The National Museum of Lithuania, established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also organizes archeological digs in Lithuania. The museum consists of five main departments, although three of them are located close to each other to the Vilnius Castle Complex (into the New Arsenal, the Old Arsenal and the Tower of Gediminas Castle).

The history of the Old Lithuania (between 13th century - 1795) is exposed in the New Arsenal. The Ethnic exposition involves Folk art and home comforts of Lithuanian rustics of the 18th-19th centuries. One of the biggest archeological expositions in Europe called “Lithuanian prehistory” is located in the Old Arsenal. The Tower of Gediminas Castle includes an impressive collection of weaponry of 14th-17th centuries.

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Address

Arsenalo gatvė 1, Vilnius, Lithuania
See all sites in Vilnius

Details

Founded: 1952
Category: Museums in Lithuania

More Information

www.lnm.lt
en.wikipedia.org
www.way2lithuania.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Vilnius Cathedral (0,2 km)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (0,2 km)
St. John's Church (0,5 km)
Gediminas' Tower (0,1 km)
Vilnius University (0,5 km)
Vilnius Town Hall (1 km)
St. Anne's Church (0,5 km)
St. Casimir's Church (1,1 km)
Presidential Palace (0,5 km)


Trakai Island Castle (23,2 km)
Trakai Peninsula Castle (23,2 km)
St. Mary's Church (23,4 km)
Norviliskes Castle (59,4 km)
Medininkai Castle (28,5 km)
Kernave (35,6 km)
Senieji Trakai Castle (21,6 km)
Karmazinai Mound (27,2 km)
Dubingiai Castle Ruins (42,5 km)

User Reviews

Liubov Bevz (2 years ago)
Great place to visit. Entrance was just 3 EUR and there are lots of interesting things collected. I loved ethnographic expozition with reconstruction of typical traditional Lithuanian households. And especially interesting is exposition about unique Lithuanian art called Cross crafting.
Ray (3 years ago)
Museums are very affordable in Vilnius and I definitely recommend everyone to visit this one. They even have free cloakrooms!
Bill Dinger (3 years ago)
An expansive museum covering the grounds and barracks of the old Vilnius castle. Has numerous artifacts about Lithuanian history and it's information placards are in both English and Lithuanian. The cost is 2 Euros for each section, and there are like 3 aections. Takes about 2 hours if you go to all 3 places as well as hike up to the castle. Please note castle hike is up a very steep pitch with uneven cobblestones and limited to no handrails. There is a furnicular but it wasn't working when I was there. The top offers great views of Vilnius
Olga P (3 years ago)
A very interesting museum! And only 1,5 euros for students!
Usman Malik (3 years ago)
Love this museum. Nice collection. It’s not so big but got plenty of stuff. Tickets about €3 for adult and kids free. They have got musical instruments, maps of old Lithuania, clothes used to wear and different areas of Lithuania and much more. Must visit if you like history.
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Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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