Our Lady of Siluva
"Lithuania's Greatest Treasure"

The Painting is the Finest Copy of Hodegetria

It has been discovered that the painting of Mary and the Christ Child brought by Peter Gedgaudas from Italy to the church in Siluva in 1457 is the finest copy of Hodegetria, one of St. Luke’s pictures, which was in Constantinople until 1453.

The same painting can be found in Rome in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

In 1770, Fr. J. Skirmantas had a Goldsmith make a dress of gold for Our Lady in the painting.

Ona Smigelskaite of Vilnius, during the process of restoration of Our Lady's painting in 1959, discovered the signs of the picture having been folded – it had been folded four times and had been stored for a long time. This further confirms the picture's storage in the ironclad box.

Get more information on restoration of the painting

See other artistic interpretations

Miraculous Image of Our Lady, preserved in buried ironclad chest, now occupies a most revered place in the Shrine. In 1786, with the permission of the Pope, the Madonna was crowned.

"Our Lady of Siluva" Hymns

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