Antalieptė Monastery of the Holy Cross

Antalieptė Monastery of the Holy Cross

The community of Discalced Carmelites settled in Antalieptė in the early 18th c. They were invited here by the count family of Strutinskai. In 1734 they made two large donations, thus securing the material basis for the establishment of the monastery. The monastery was also given a plot of land. The arrangement of the monastery and the entire territory was dictated by the location of the old wooden church, because these two buildings had to be connected. The construction of the monastery and its outbuildings was managed by the monks. They arranged agreements and procured construction materials. The monastery of the Discalced Carmelites was completed in 1734. Until 1756 Antalieptė monastery was referred to as a residence, which shows that the number of monks living there at that time was no more than 5. As of 1760 it was already referred to as a monastery (convention). In the late 18th c. it decayed and became unsuitable to live, thus the larger part of it was dismantled, making place for a new building.

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