Tytuvėnai

Tytuvėnai
City

Tytuvėnai Church

Coat of arms
Tytuvėnai

Location of Tytuvėnai

Coordinates: 55°36′0″N 23°12′0″E / 55.60000°N 23.20000°ECoordinates: 55°36′0″N 23°12′0″E / 55.60000°N 23.20000°E
Country  Lithuania
Ethnographic region Samogitia
County Šiauliai County
Municipality Kelmė district municipality
Eldership Tytuvėnai eldership
Capital of Tytuvėnai eldership
First mentioned 1500
Granted city rights 1956
Population (2005)
  Total 2,775
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Tytuvėnai ( pronunciation , Polish: Cytowiany) is a city in the Kelmė district municipality, Lithuania. It is located 17 km (11 mi) east of Kelmė. It is known for its Bernardine monastery.

The first church in the town was built in 1555. The construction of the monastery was initiated by Andrius Valavicius and his family, who returned to the Catholic faith after a wave of Counter-Reformation. The construction plans were prepared in 1614, but the construction started only after the death of Andrius Valavicius in 1618. Works were sponsored by Jeronimas Valavicius, the treasurer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1633 the main part of monastery and church was completed. In 1772–1780 a courtyard was built, in which Stations of the Cross were placed.

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky was the rabbi of the Tytvėnai Jewish community from 1926 until 1937, when he emigrated to America.

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