Look for a beautiful cream-colored building with three levels of graceful arches forming a cozy courtyard-just follow the rows of arches and you’ll know you’ve arrived!
Take a deep breath and imagine yourself stepping back to the 1580s. The Alumnatas stands before you, proud and silent, once alive with the eager voices of young men who’d traveled from faraway lands, all to train as priests on a mission from the Pope himself. Back when Queen Elizabeth I was barely done with her tea, Pope Gregory XIII decided Vilnius needed a place to train priests who could head into Orthodox and Protestant territories, hoping to spread a bit of papal cheer. These walls, built in elegant Renaissance style, with cool stone and shady arcades, have seen more secrets than a magician’s hat. Originally, there was a gothic house with mysterious cellars where the students may have sneaked in a forbidden snack (or two). By the 17th century, a little chapel was added at the back of the courtyard-making it perfect for peaceful prayers or, rumor has it, the occasional midnight ghost story. Imagine the courtyard glittering in candlelight, voices echoing off the arches. Sadly, by 1798 the seminar closed, handing the keys to Vilnius University, and the halls grew quieter, filled now with townsfolk instead of clergy. Last restored in 1984, the Alumnatas still holds its dignified elegance-though today, the only spirits likely to haunt you are friendly ones, possibly offering coffee at the little tables nearby!
