Published: 20241030
The international exhibition The Pacs: Lilies of the Garden of History explores the family's legacy. Visitors are invited to discover the origins of this significant family, whose traditions and contributions have shaped Lithuania's heritage for centuries and will continue to influence the future.
The Pacs were one of Lithuania's oldest, most influential, and wealthiest noble families, holding the title of counts. Renowned for their education and refined artistic taste, they left behind a priceless Baroque heritage. At one time, they even held the de facto position of rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, continuing the tradition of safeguarding and strengthening Lithuanian statehood. Their exceptional role in Lithuanian history has earned them comparisons to other prominent noble families, such as the Radziwiłłs and Sapiehas.
Dr Vydas Dolinskas, one of the exhibition's curators and Director General of the National Museum—Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, commented: "We've accomplished a monumental task. This exhibition took three years to prepare, focusing on the Pac family's history and heritage. With this project, we continue the tradition of showcasing Lithuania's most prominent noble families, those who have left a valuable legacy. In 2012, we presented the Sapiehas and, five years ago, the Radziwiłłs. The exhibition dedicated to the Pac family stands out as it features a noble lineage that became extinct in the 19th century. With no descendants to preserve their heritage, collect artefacts, or maintain the family's image, this exhibition honours the contributions and unique legacy of a once-great but now vanished noble family."
A record number of contributors, over fifty institutions and private collectors from Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, lent items for the exhibition. Additionally, more than ten institutions from Lithuania, Poland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Turkey provided visual aids.
The Pacs Counts – Guardians of the Lithuanian State
The exhibition includes a newly created genealogical tree of the Pacs family. The family's ambition to solidify power and prestige in Lithuania is reflected in its claim of ancient Roman origins. Visitors can view 17th–18th-century handwritten genealogical charts and heraldic books created by members of the Pac family themselves, as well as a portrait of St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, a Carmelite from Florence, considered a relative of the Pacs family.
In Lithuanian history, the Pacs distinguished themselves as astute politicians and diplomats, skilled military leaders, devout Church supporters, generous arts patrons, and shrewd landowners. The Pacs entered the political elite as early as the first half of the 15th century and reached the height of their influence and fame in the 17th century. The family produced 18 senators of Lithuania and Poland, held ministerial positions in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 11 times, and occupied other high-ranking state offices 21 times. Five family members became bishops, and eleven men and women dedicated their lives to religious service.
The exhibition highlights the most prominent member of the Pacs family, Kristupas Zigmantas Pacas, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania, known as the "Teacher of Lithuanian Nobility." A unique seal symbolises his legacy, comparable to royal insignia. Pacas was instrumental in securing greater autonomy for Lithuania, persuading the Sejm in 1673 to hold every third parliament session in Lithuania. The military achievements of another distinguished family member, Grand Hetman of Lithuania Mykolas Kazimieras Pacas, are represented through artefacts such as his mace, an army treasury chest, a trophy drum brought back from the Turkish war, ornate hussar half-armour with plumes, and royal privileges granted to him.
The exhibition also includes nearly all surviving portraits of the most illustrious members of the Pacs family, a remarkable feat considering the rarity of such portraits today.
A Family Renowned for Education and Refined Artistic Taste
According to the exhibition's chief curator, Polish art historian Prof. habil. Dr Anna Sylwia Czyż, "the Pacs were among the most educated noble families, commissioning artists such as the Italian painter Michelangelo Palloni. This set them apart from other noble houses in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Pacs education and artistic sensibility are reflected in the architectural heritage that survives today, as well as in the luxurious and masterfully crafted symbols of faith and devotion and the sacred art treasures they donated to churches."
The Pacs' "golden generation" of the late 17th century financed major architectural projects, including the Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery and Church, St Peter and St Paul's Church in Vilnius, and gifts for Vilnius Cathedral and St Casimir's Church. The exhibition showcases luxurious liturgical garments adorned with the Pacs coat of arms, silverware crafted by renowned goldsmiths, and religious paintings. Visitors can also view images of the Pacs significant ecclesiastical endowments and a model of the Pažaislis ensemble, often compared to Spain's El Escorial. Prof. Czyż highlights that these historically and artistically significant works exemplify Lithuania's distinct "Pacs Baroque" era.
For the first time in nearly two centuries, five heraldic tapestries commissioned by Grand Hetman and Vilnius Voivode Mykolas Kazimieras Pacas are gathered in one place. The exhibition also poignantly recalls the fate of the Pac's looted and destroyed collections, with empty picture frames and small reproductions of Pacs portraits hidden in Smolensk (today - Russian Federation) on display.
The exhibition features fragments of the last male Pac family member's art collection—General Count Ludwik Michał Pac. His collection included ancient relics, paintings by renowned artists, and sculptures. Known for his patronage and lavish estates in Dowspuda and Warsaw, Count Pac was forced into exile after participating in the 1831 uprising against Russia, leading to the confiscation of his wealth.
The exhibition presents nearly 300 artefacts in total, including paintings, prints, sculptures, textiles, goldsmithing works, applied art objects, drawings, architectural plans, early photographs, authentic documents, rare books, weapons, armour, and other historical relics from museums, libraries, archives, churches, monasteries, and private collections in Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine.
Grzegorz Niemczyk, a representative of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Poland and co-organiser of the exhibition, remarked: "Discussing our shared history isn't always easy—we must address difficult topics, exchange ideas, and understand that the history of Poland and Lithuania is fundamentally a story of attempts to forge a community of nations. Honouring families like the Pacs helps us grasp the intertwined destinies of Central and Eastern European peoples. There are countless stories in our shared history waiting to be discovered and told, and we're delighted to support the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum's initiatives."
The international exhibition The Pacs: Lilies of the Garden of History is under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas, and Kaunas Archbishop Metropolitan Kėstutis Kėvalas. Prof. habil. Dr Anna Sylwia Czyż, Dr Vydas Dolinskas, and Marijus Uzorka created the concept and curation. The exhibition, opening to the public on 30 October, will run for three months, concluding on the last Sunday of January.
