Užpaliai Church and Belfry

The belfry of Užpaliai Church was built in 1847. It was built by the parishioners from their own funds. Before that time there was a wooden belfry in that place. The present-day belfry is square in plan, it is a four-floored structure with three stages of different sizes. The walls of the ground floor are made of stones, the walls of the rest floors are made of red bricks. The walls are massive.  Their thickness is even 1.8 m. In 1971, the belfry was included into the list of architectural monuments. The first information about Užpaliai Church dates back to 1532.  In about 1750, the old church was demolished and the new wooden church was built. At the end of the 18th cent., the township was on fire. The church burnt down too. The wooden church was rebuilt again. In 1884-1892, the new brick church of the pointed style was built by the initiative of the priest Kazimieras Kozminskas and the parishioners. The new ‘špitolė’ (shelter for poor and old people), parsonage, public home was built.  5 altars, 16-voice organ with pedals were equipped. The church is of eclectic architecture with Gothic and Romantic features. The building is built of red bricks, in the shape of oblong rectangle,  with two front towers. The churchyard is enclosed by a see-through lattice fence with brick columns.