Lithuanian castle reveals rare renaissance wall paintings
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Restorers in Lithuania’s Ukmergė district completed a two-year project to restore 17th-century wall paintings at Siesikų Castle, making it a unique heritage site in the Baltic region.
The paintings depict allegorical scenes based on engravings by Goltzius, a prominent European artist, and include other works from the 16th and 17th centuries created by well-known painters. Indrė Valkiūnienė, the restorer, explained that the discovered paintings showcase a distinctive Renaissance style and that the Siesickiai family once owned similar artwork.
Lithuania lacks other surviving residential castles with preserved paintings, making the Siesikų Castle frescoes particularly important. Audrys Matulaitis, the castle administrator, noted that visitors initially approach the paintings with skepticism due to their subtle imagery, but quickly become engaged when learning the stories behind them. Daiva Tereščenko, director of the Ukmergė Regional Museum, believes the restoration will re-establish Siesikų Castle on the map of European cultural heritage, revealing connections between Lithuania and wider European art and mythology.
