Gate of Dawn

The Gate of Dawn is the one city gate left of the old Vilnius walls, and above its arch a chapel holds a revered golden image of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims from Poland, Lithuania and beyond come to it, and the faithful pass through the gate below with heads bowed to the Madonna looking down.

History

The gate was built between 1503 and 1514 as one of the nine gates of the Vilnius city wall, with gun openings still visible on its outer side, and was known as the Medininkai Gate, after the village it led to, or the Sharp Gate. In the first half of the 17th century the image of the Virgin still venerated today was placed on its inner side, and Discalced Carmelites, who founded a monastery with the Church of Saint Theresa beside the gate in 1626, spread its devotion; they built a wooden chapel in the gate from 1668 to 1672, and after a fire in 1711 a brick chapel took its place, where the image was hung again around 1713-1715. Its stucco altar and decoration date from 1785-1787, and when the city walls were pulled down between 1799 and 1805, the gate was the only part left standing because the image was so revered; the chapel was rebuilt in 1828-1830, and its feast is held in the second week of November (Wikipedia, Gate of Dawn).

What you'll find

• The Madonna chapel - the golden image of Mary above the gate arch.
• The gate itself - the surviving medieval city gate over the street.
• Silver offerings - the walls of votive hearts left by pilgrims.
• The approach street - Ausros Vartu leading up through the old town.

When to go

Year-round; it is quietest early in the day and busiest during pilgrimages and feast days. The chapel is reached by a stair beside the gate.

What to expect

It is a short visit, a chapel and a gate rather than a large site, though its meaning to believers is profound. It remains an active place of prayer, so dress and behave respectfully, especially during services. Photography inside the chapel may be restricted.

Nearby

The whole old town runs north from the gate; St Casimir's and the town hall are a short walk in.

Key facts