Craft quilds and theirs altars 16th–18th century in Vilnius

Straipsnyje analizuojama, kuriose Vilniaus bažnyčiose cechai XVI–XVIII a. turėjo savo altorių ar koplyčią, kiek maždaug kainavo įrengti ir išlaikyti kulto apeigų atlikimo vietą. Istorinių šaltinių analizė padėjo ne tik nustatyti ar patikslinti, nuo kada ir kur konkreti Vilniaus amatininkų korporacija įsirengė savo altorių ar koplyčią, bet ir plačiau pristatyti šią amatininkų bendruomenės tradiciją. Altorius dažniausiai buvo skiriamas amato globėjui ar kokio kito šventojo, kurio kultas tuo metu buvo ypač populiarus, garbei. Altoriaus išorei įtaką darė cecho finansinės galimybės ir tuometinės mados. Vilniaus amatininkų korporacijos buvo nuolatinis darbo parūpintojas Vilniaus menininkams. Deja, istorinių šaltinių apie dailininkams pavestus darbus išliko vos keletas.Vilnius saw the establishment of the first craft (goldsmiths’) guild in the late 15th c., while the second half of the 16th c. witnessed a large increase in the number of guilds in the town. The guilds regulated all the spheres of their members' lives, including their religion, which was subject to quite strict regulations. Guild members not only had a duty to attend church rites regularly but also to set up and take care of a specific altar or chapel in a church. The paper aims at establishing for the first time which Vilnius churches had altars or chapels of the 16th-18th-cc. craft guilds. It analyses the cost of installing and maintaining a ritual site of this type and tries to trace the origin of this tradition. This tradition may have been a phenomenon of social sponsorship. Support for the Church gained popularity after the Council of Trent: inspired by piety, the faithful made efforts to adorn a church for the glory of God by their acts of sponsorship, redeeming their sins and save their souls at the same time. Sponsors were not only noblemen and the clergy but also well-off citizens and their organisations – guilds and fraternities. Seeking to reveal the “level” of their members’ piety, each guild competed for the ornateness and luxuriance of an altar. Decoration of the altar was also a reflection of the financial status of a guild's community. Analysis has established the location and the name of altars and chapels of 27 craft guilds. This serves as the basis for more thorough studies of the history of church art