United into a conglomerate state by the Union of Lublin, the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania had two political capitals – Kraków and Vilnius. The city by the Neris River, Gediminas’ former fortress, became a historical capital and the centre where Lithuania’s most important institutions were located. This facilitated its extraordinary flourishing. It is no wonder then that families of the nobility and magnates built their city palaces and residences here. However, the history of these residences, like that of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was turbulent: with the changing historical and political circumstances, palaces would be reconstructed, frequently damaged and demolished.

This book is the first attempt at a comprehensive narrative about the homes of magnates and the nobility in Vilnius. Professor, habilitated doctor in art history Anna Sylwia Czyż, in three chapters of this monumental synthesised and analytical work, reveals the historical and urban development of the architecture of Vilnius’ palaces, telling readers about the community of architects and builders in Vilnius in the 17th and 18th centuries, before finally identifying the most important trends and directions in the architectural forms of residences in Vilnius.

However, the actual core of this publication is the thorough catalogue of 41 palaces in Vilnius that makes up two thirds of the entire book. Both extant and lost buildings are carefully documented and catalogued. A great deal of valuable information is revealed in the catalogue in the wealth of archival entries, giving the book truly special value. All sections of the catalogue are illustrated – historical and contemporary cartography is presented, along with sketches and selected contemporary photograph iconography. This publication is the first such monumental academic work about important palaces in the cities of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Vilnius being one of them, which are brought back into our memory through word and picture.

Released in cooperation with the Polonika National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad, this book offers readers the chance to dive into Vilnius’ history and learn about a myriad of various palaces. No longer existing buildings are brought back from oblivion, while their creators – architects, builders and masons – are given a voice and a body, all coming together to make the history of these palaces part of the present. 

Editorial committee: Katarzyna Sokołowska / Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak (chair), Magdalena Gutowska, Karol Guttmejer, Piotr Ługowski

Series editor and project coordinator: Karol Guttmejer (coordination of the Lithuanian version by Karolina Kochańczyk-Bonińska)

Reviewers: Dr (hp) Rūta Janonienė, habil. Dr Prof. Jan K. Ostrowski, Dr Mindaugas Paknys, Dr Wojciech Wółkowski

© Narodowy Instytut Polskiego Dziedzictwa Kulturowego za Granicą POLONIKA, 2025

© Anna Sylwia Czyż, 2025

Translation into English: Aleksandra Idzikowska

Translation into Lithuanian: Edita Gudišauskaitė

Proof-reading: Rūta Statkevičiūtė

Cover design, graphic design and layout: Piotr Berezowski

700 p.

26×20.5 cm

300 copies