Archaeological research of the Apostles Peter and Paul Cathedral Basilica in Kaunas

Address: Kauno m. sav., Kauno m., Vilniaus g. 1

The place for the Apostles Peter and Paul parish church was chosen to be the corner of the square, near the old road to Vilnius, in the already planned part of town with consideration for the relief of the landscape. In the historical sources the church was first mentioned in 1413, when the right of religious festivals was granted to the church. Archaeological research has revealed a distinctive type of construction. To support the high walls multi-levelled foundations with a widened ground-level lower part were erected. This type of masonry was not used in other Kaunas churches. In the primary old town relief, in the location of the churchyard, there was a small ravine which gradually deepened and reached a brook which ran down contemporary M. Daukšos Street. In the 16th-17th centuries the ravine was gradually piled with a variety of rubble and a layer of circa 3–4 metres was formed. The space around the church was designated for the parish cemetery. The whole space of the churchyard was used for burials.

Mindaugas Bertašius