Not so long ago, a "bronze" tan meant you were poor.
Not so long ago it was advised that it was necessary to draw the curtains of the carriages in order not to have to see the abominable scenery of the Alps.
Not so long ago, Gothic was considered complete barbarism, some kind of "davatkish" darkness.
Not so long ago, baroque was tolerated sparingly or quietly considered tasteless. Something like a white "wedding cake" with lots of "pink" edible roses.
Trying to admire everything that is modern. A beautiful city is a city that is clean, odorless and has modern buildings.
The new architecture was not only beautiful, but also civilized if it was symmetrical, thoughtful, orderly and reminiscent of Ancient Greece or Rome. In other words, order, rules and the rule of law.
Before the advent of heritage conservationists, preserving did not mean not destroying. Each generation not only wanted, but also imagined that they had to create their own heritage in some things. Vilnius Cathedral is the best example of this.
After a fire in 1530, the beautiful, Gothic cathedral of Vilnius was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In 1610, the cathedral was destroyed by another one fire. Then the cathedral was rebuilt with baroque features. Two beautiful baroque towers have even been built on the main facade.
In 1769, a storm broke down one of the towers of the cathedral. It split the vaults and killed 6 people. The cathedral was closed.
In 1783, at the behest of the Bishop of Vilnius, Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis, the reconstruction of the cathedral began according to the project of Lauryns Gucevičius. At last she acquired a civilized beauty. It became a harmonious and monumental building of classicism.
The baroque St. Casimir's Chapel.
However, here too the architect had to solve a civilized issue, that is, one based on rules (order, etc.). In order to maintain a symmetrical composition, a sacristy had to be built on the other side of the cathedral as St. A copy of the exterior of the Kazimierz chapel.
The paradox of heritage protection. So what should be done so that when offering to save one or the other for future generations, you would not be disappointed?
Maybe today's architectural glass symbolizes people's thirst for transparency, clarity, simplicity?
How, 300 years ago, did the ancient warrant signify the pursuit of natural rights and equality, regardless of human origins and captivity?
Illustrations from the book "The pantheon of rulers and nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in Vilnius", V. Urbanavičius, 2018, Vilnius.
