Exhibition “Hidden Within”

Hidden and awaiting discovery for nearly a century, the Treasury of Vilnius Cathedral is gradually reclaiming its place in history and is being presented to the public for the first time as a unified whole. The exhibition traces the dramatic fate of the Cathedral treasures – their concealment and rediscovery across time. Crafted for the liturgy, royal burials, bishops’ consecrations, and the adornment of the Cathedral, and offered in prayer, gratitude, and hope, these objects stand as witnesses to the history of Lithuania.

The traditional structure of the treasury provides the framework for the exhibition, inviting visitors on a journey through the discoveries of 1931, 1985, and 2024, while also recalling the concealments of 1655, 1939, and 1991. Bound up in events marked by tension, threat, and uncertainty, these treasures reflect the public’s desire to see objects long believed lost, yet of profound significance to both the Church and Lithuania. Alongside rare and remarkable works of goldsmithing and silversmithing, some artefacts appear exactly as they emerged from their hiding places, with only minimal conservation treatment; thus, the exhibition offers an opportunity to experience the finds in their original state and to draw closer to the moment of their discovery.

Curators: Giedrė Mickūnaitė, Laura Petrauskaitė
Architect Ieva Cicėnaitė
Designer Sigitas Gužauskas
Conservators: Rimvydas Derkintis, Indraja Kubilytė-Bogan, Vytautė Lukšėnienė, Milda Tičkaitė
Language editor Audra Kairienė
English translators: Kotryna Džilavjan, Tomas Riklius
Organiser: The Church Heritage Museum
In collaboration with: Vilnius Academy of Arts
Funding for the museum is provided by: Archdiocese of Vilnius, Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality
Co-financed by: Research Council of Lithuania
Media sponsors: „Go Vilnius“, bernardinai.lt, „Artuma“, „IQ“, „Kelionė“, „Magnificat“
Digital copies have been kindly provided by: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Lithuanian State Historical Archives, National Museum in Warsaw, Library of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, The Sleńdziński Gallery in Białystok