Unveiling the Development of the Church of Our Lady of Consolation Through Archaeological Excavations

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

Until recently, the Church of Our Lady of Consolation has received limited attention from heritage conservation specialists, with archaeological excavations in the church and its immediate surroundings starting only in 2020. Previous excavations have revealed the existence of earlier settlements in the area, and it is known that a pre-existing Eastern Orthodox church stood on the site before the construction of the Catholic church in the 18th century. Archaeological excavations were initiated in preparation for the repair and reconstruction of this unique single-tower Baroque church, which deviated from the typical architecture of Vilnius, and had been converted into a storage facility during the Soviet era. The works will involve excavating the ground during construction, thus one of the primary objectives of the ongoing archaeological excavation, initiated in 2020, is to understand the archaeological situation of this site.

In 2020, five exploratory trenches were dug. The subsoil in the explored area lies at a depth ranging from 0.8 to 2.2 meters and more, and could not be reached in all trenches, with the cultural layer extending from 0.8 meters to over 3.4 meters thick. The earliest cultural layer horizons, dating from the end of the 14th century and the 15th century, were exclusive to trench 3. In trench 1, our excavations unearthed a bell from the 18th century, alongside human bones from disinterred graves. We were unable to reach the subsoil even at a depth of 2.4 meters from the basement floor. Meanwhile, trench 2 revealed a fragment of a brick-paved floor from the first half of the 20th century, which was left undisturbed. In the southern part of trench 3, the subsoil was reached at a depth of 80 cm. However, in another section, early cultural layer horizons were compromised by a farm pit or another excavation. Our excavation efforts revealed arched foundations of the church, complete with a bricked-up opening under the span of the arch. A small fragment of pavement or natural stone paving was found at the lower part of the foun- dation. Trench 4 proved fruitful, uncovering a previously unknown brick underground structure measuring 2 meters in width at an unknown length, potentially designed for burial, at a depth of approximately 1 m. Two graves from the 18th or 19th century were discovered in an expanded segment of trench 4, reaching the subsoil from a depth of 2.2 meters. Lastly, in trench 5, we encountered relatively well-preserved remains of a brick building dating back to the 16th century or the first half of the 17th century. The excavation further unveiled horizons of a cultural layer, believed to have formed in the 17th or 18th century. The subsoil was not reached in this particular trench.

In 2021, extensive archaeological excavations were conducted near the south western part of the church. Employing advanced archaeological methods, the primary objective was to pinpoint the foundation site of the no longer existing winter sacristy. The goal was to ascertain the precise location of this former church extension. Two digs were explored, revealing brick structures from the sacristy that aligned with the contemporary masonry of the church. Consequently, the quite accurate location of the sacristy could be determined.

While the cultural layer and potentially archaeological structures in the church’s proximity suffered damage during the installation of underground engineering networks, there is a renewed focus on uncovering remnants of other structures once connected to the church. An all-encompassing research approach is considered the most promising avenue.