Uzupis Quarter
2006-11-17 12:57

Užupis Quarter was mentioned as far back as the acts of the 16th century. Formerly it was a suburb of the poor having three bridges across the River Vilnelė connecting it with the main urban area.

In Malūno Street, close to the River Vilnelė, stands a long house. He is unique in that he almost has no windows facing the street. It is a former Bernardine Monastery of Užupis, established in 1496. Nuns did not have their own church and they used to come to Bernardine Church which was connected to the monastery with a bridge over the River Vilnelė. Later the bridge burned down and was never restored.

In Užupis Street, the Palace of Honests was built at the beginning of the 19th century in the late classicism style. If you walk this street, you will also see St. Balthazar Church. This quarter also has a very old cemetery stretched on the steep riverside of the River Vilnelė. They used to belong to the St. Bernardin church, were neglected later and now their beauty was restored and they became a mystical location in Užupis.

Recently, Užupis is becoming more and more popular among artists, students, youth groups, wealthy citizens settle here, too. It is also a frequent location for various events and projects.

Don’t wonder at the sign “Republic of Užupis” when crossing the bridge joining the Old Town and Užupis. A joke that Užupis is a separate republic symbolically came true one day! Another nice project has finally become a reality: each visitor will be welcome by a statue of the angel standing in the first square of Užupis.