Ask a Lithuanian what Šiluva is, and they will answer that it is one of the most important spiritual centres in the country. But, it is in fact one of the first sites in Europe where a Marian apparition was seen.
Šiluva is a place where visitors find inner spiritual peace, where you can experience a centuries old pilgrimage tradition and immerse yourself in impressive sacred architecture. The red brick Šiluva Church, built in the 18th century, is probably the last standing monument to Late Baroque sacred architecture. The interior has been preserved for over 200 years, and has hardly been altered. The faithful are drawn to the miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, and the Chapel of the Apparition. The magnificent 44-meter-high building was designed by architect Antanas Vivulskis, who also designed the Three Crosses on the Hill of Three Crosses in Vilnius. At the centre of the chapel, there is an altar on a rock where the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was seen in 1608.
The Indulgence Feast (also known as the Feast of Šiluva) is a very special celebration that takes place in Šiluva from September 7th-15th. It is the largest event of its kind in Lithuania.
