The Sapiegas Palace in Antakalnis is a mature Baroque palace of the late 17th century, a part of the ensemble of residential and cult buildings in Vilnius. A French-style park, a Trinitarian monastery and a church were built next to the palace. The ensemble was designed by the architect Giovanni Battista Frediani, the sculptor Giovanni Pietro Perti and the painter Michelangelo Palloni. The palace belonged to the Sapiega family until the end of the 18th century, and later housed a hospital, an ophthalmology clinic between the wars, and military schools during the Soviet period. In the second half of the 20th century, research began on the palace. After Lithuania regained independence, archaeological and architectural studies were carried out, a programme for the restoration of the palace's architecture was drawn up, and the palace was restored and adapted for use. In spring 2024, the palace will open to visitors as a branch of the Contemporary Art Centre, a cultural and artistic space.

 

The palace and the park are the only surviving ensemble of a Baroque nobleman's country palace and park in Lithuania, which has preserved many of its most important elements: the palace building itself, the park, the three gates, and the walls or remnants of walls that used to enclose the palace yard and park. However, since the Sapiegas left Antakalnis, the architecture of the park's plantations has changed, and the buildings of the farmyard and part of the walls of the park and courtyard have been demolished. However, the ensemble's surroundings have undergone the most changes: the forests have been replaced by built-up blocks, and the visual and compositional connection of the park with the adjacent church has been severed by the hospital building constructed at the end of the 19th century.