History of Kazys Varnelis House-Museum

The Kazys Varnelis House-Museum is established in one of the oldest surviving brick buildings of Town Hall Square, the former houses of the Small Guild and the Masalski family, in Didzioji Street, Vilnius. These are perfect examples of Vilnius Gothic dating back to the beginning of the 15^th century. The buildings have impressive basements with Gothic cross and cylindrical arches decorated with 18^th century paintings. The arches on the first floor are also Gothic. There are plenty of authentic elements of the old architecture such as the openings of niches, windows, and doors.

For a very long period of time the house of the Small Guild had belonged to the Mamonicz family of merchants, and from 1608 it was owned by the Brotherhood of Merchants of the City of Vilnius. The building housed warehouses, artisan workshops, inns, and a pharmacy. The building was reconstructed on a regular basis and additional premises were added. During the World War II, it was damaged badly. In 1957, the building was restored and housed a newly opened shop and residential apartments.

The nearby building referred to as the house of the Masalski family located in the 16^th century residential quarter belonged to the Masalski family in 1645, and was later possessed by various other owners. During the fire of 1749, the building was badly damaged. Gradually, it also housed various shops and residential apartments. This building is famous for its Gothic kitchen with an open hearth, which is an exceptionally rare phenomenon in Vilnius.

From 1985, the reconstruction works of the two buildings were being performed in order to uncover the elements of the old architecture and to restore an authentic picture of the buildings. In 1993, following the decision of the Vilnius City Council, the buildings were given for the Kazys Varnelis Museum.