Aglona Travel Guide

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At about 1700 Dominican monks built here wooden church, later, in 1768 – 1780 brick baroque church and monastery around was constructed. The popularity of place was because of one saint thing – church housed painting of Madonna, which was moved here from Vilnius, capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After some miraculous recoveries, crowds of worshipers started to head to Aglona.

In 1920 church of Aglona was chosen as cathedral of Riga’s diocese, place was used as seminary and gymnasium of Catholics. It was named as the center of Catholics in Latvia.

1980 Pope of Rome listed this church as Basilica minoris. It is only one “basilica” status place in Latvia.

Saint painting of Madonna. It has very many similarities to painting in Trakai, former capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The one in Trakai was a gift from Constantinople ruler to Grand Duke Vytautas (year of 1384). Anyway, time and author of the one in Aglona is not known, but it is believed, that painting was places here because first christianized King of Lithuania Mindaugas lost his life on the way to Aglona.