Šiluva

Šiluva is a small town whose significance rests on an event reported in 1608, when a girl weeping on a stone was said to have been seen by children and identified as the Virgin, in a district that had become Calvinist and where the Catholic church had lost ground; the reported apparition is among the earliest in Europe to receive church recognition. A domed chapel was built over the stone in the early twentieth century and stands facing the large Baroque basilica across a wide square, with a colonnade linking the two. The Šiluva festival in early September draws pilgrims from across Lithuania for eight days of processions and services. Outside it the town is very quiet and the square is empty.

History

Šiluva is first mentioned in 1457, when the noble Petras Gedgaudas built a church here, and the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin later drew great crowds. Many local people became Calvinists in the 16th century and the church was closed around 1569, its last priest burying its valuables and deeds in an iron box nearby (Wikipedia, Šiluva).

What's there

• The apparition chapel - the domed building over the stone.
• The basilica - the large Baroque church facing it across the square.
• The linking colonnade - the arcade joining the two buildings.
• The September festival - eight days of processions and pilgrims.

When to go

Early September for the festival, which is when the town is full and the tradition is visible. Otherwise May to September for the buildings; the town is quiet and takes two hours.

What to expect

Outside the festival there is little happening and the town is empty. During it accommodation is unavailable locally and crowds are heavy. Interpretation is limited and largely in Lithuanian. This is a devotional site rather than a sightseeing one.

Nearby

Tytuvėnai monastery lies northwest; Raseiniai is south.