16 Pilies Street

This building comprises of two formerly separate brick buildings built in the 16^th century that used to be called Rudamina House and Delamars House. The owners of Rudamina House from the late 17^th century were the Elder of Radun Piotr Rudamina and his heirs. In 1741, the building that had been acquired by Duke Michał Massalski was inherited by his son, the Bishop of Vilnius Ignacy Jakub Massalski – the latter was publicly hanged in Warsaw during the uprising of 1794. In the beginning of the 19^th century, the building was considered to be one of the finest brick houses in the city. The famous French bell and cannon maker Joannes Delarmars lived in the house named after him from 1663 until his death in 1690. The house, which suffered extensive damage during the fire of 1748, was rebuilt and came to be known for its opulent interiors in the early 19^th century. Napoleon Odachowski bought both houses in 1890 and combined them into one building based on a design by architect Cyprian Maculewicz. In 1902–1903 this building housed one of the first art salons in Vilnius (founded by Stanisław Bułharowski), and from 1903 it was the studio of photographer Icik Serebrin, before a fire in 1904 destroyed the roof. The house was reconstructed yet again in 1910 and acquired the appearance we see today.

Individuals

JOANNES DELAMARS (?–1690)

A French bell and cannon maker. He lived in Lithuania in 1662–1690 (with intervals) and worked in the arsenals of Bogusław Radziwiłł in Biržai and Vilnius (present-day 16 Pilies Street). We know of 32 bells cast by Joannes Delamars in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 11 of which remained in Lithuania and the rest having been taken to Russia in 1915. There are two bells in each of the cities of Alytus, Skaruliai (Jonava district municipality) and the Pažaislis monastery ensemble (Kaunas), and one in Alsėdžiai (Plungė district municipality). Four bells cast by Delamars remain in Vilnius, which still ring in the belfries of the Church of Ss Peter and Paul, the Archcathedral and the Church of St Johns. The master’s bell and cannon foundry in Vilnius was established near the Vilnia River, in a location called Puszkarnia. The bells cast by Delamars were valued for their melodic sound, ornateness and durability.