St. George the Martyr Church and Bernardine Monastery is the second most important Bernardine centre in Lithuania, constructed at the same time as the Vilnius Bernardine monastery buildings. The different positions in the town of these two monasteries have led to different architectural solutions. In the 15th-16th century all churches were constructed strictly on the west-east axis – with the presbytery with the central altar in the east, and the central façade in the west. In Vilnius this orientation is advantageous – the central façade is facing the town. In Kaunas the church has to turn away from the town and this was taken into consideration when designing the façades of the church. From the town side, Kaunas Bernardine complex is not visible from far away. Thus the main architectural accent visible from this side is the highly decorative presbytery. From the western side the Church and Monastery can be seen from far away by the merchants approaching Kaunas by the River Nemunas. Thus, ornate façades were constructed on the side facing the river.
Asta Prikockienė