Samogitian Bishopric Museum Museum

The Samogitian Diocesan Museum is a division of the Samogitian Museum "Alka", established in 1999 in the former Varniai Samogitian Seminary building, built in 1770.

The museum presents the artistic, historical and memorial heritage of the Samogitian (Medininkai) Diocese and the Telšiai Diocese (since 1926). The museum is housed in the building of the former Samogitian seminary, built in the 18th century for the administration of Tsarist Russia.

The seminary operated until 1864. After the uprising of 1863-1864, the seminary and part of the diocesan building were transferred to the Russian Empire's army and began to be reconstructed, adapting them to a new - military - purpose, which the seminary building would serve for several subsequent decades. In 1871, the Don Cossack regiment, which was transferred to the 33-building complex formed in Varniai, remained in Varniai until 1905.

After regaining independence, the Lithuanian Army Discipline Company and the Eighth Infantry Regiment of Kaunas Duke Vaidotas were based in this place. During the interwar period, the Varniai concentration camp operated in the museum buildings (1927-1931). During the Soviet era (1947), the Varniai secondary school was located here, later the building was transferred to the Varniai village vocational technical school. After the restoration of Independence, in 1995. the bell tower and the original roof structure, typical of the late Lithuanian Baroque, were rebuilt. In 1999, the building was transferred to the Samogitian Diocese Museum.