Lithuania
St Anne's Church
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The church of St Anne is a masterpiece of the late Gothic period. There is no nonsensus about its originator or its construction period. The Church of St. Anne was built for Anna, Grand Duchess of Lithuania, and wife to Vytautas the Great. The church was burned down in 1419 and then rebuilt in brick on the orders of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander I Jagiellon. Consecrated back in 1500, the facade seen today is largely unchanged since its reconstruction in the 1400s.
Popular legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte, who was fascinated by the beauty of the church, wanted to take it back to Paris in the palm of his hand. Unfortunately, the reality is not that romantic: during the march of the Napoleonic army through Lithuania, the church was consigned to the French cavalry forces. However, Napoleon did mention in a letter to his wife that „Vilnius is a very beautiful city“.
Next to the church there is a bell tower initating the Gothic style and built in the 19th century.
