Trakai Church was built in 1409 by Vytautas. The church was likely built by the same craftsmen who worked on the castle of Trakai Island. The materials collected for the construction of the castle were used. This red-brick Gothic building survived until the early 17th century when it was reconstructed. The fame of the church at that time began to spread thanks to the miraculous image of the mother of God, to which people prayed and received various graces. The church was looted and destroyed during the war with Moscow, but after the war, it was reconstructed and has since been reborn as a Baroque building. In the early 18th century, the church was renovated again and in 2017 it was consecrated as a basilica, a title only given to houses of worship of special significance. There are only 8 basilicas in Lithuania. There are about 2,000 pillars consecrated as basilicas worldwide.
The interior of the church has changed along with the building. The interior space, once famous for its board ceilings, ceramic tiles, and Byzantine-style wall paintings, has changed beyond recognition. But today, the sanctuary still contains various elements of six centuries of its history. There are floral ornaments on the walls, an image of an unknown saintly monk in a light-coloured abbot, and monograms of Christ and Mary at the top of the window arches. A portrait of Vytautas, the founder of the church, is still preserved in the church.
The image of Our Lady, known for its miracles and graces throughout the country, is associated with the name of Grand Duke Vytautas. On the reverse side of the painting, at the beginning of the 18th century, it was inscribed that it had been given to Vytautas by the Byzantine Emperor Emmanuel II Paleologos on his baptism. The painting, acquired by the Trakai Church, was respected by Catholics, Orthodox Christians and even by Vytautas' Muslim subordinates. In 1611, Queen Constance prayed in Trakai for the health of King Sigismund Vasa and the victory in the Smolensk campaign. The King recovered and Smolensk, which had been unsuccessfully besieged for two years, was seized after three months. King Vladislav Vasa himself came from Vilnius in 1639 to pay his respects to the painting of Our Lady of Trakai. The votive offerings were hung next to the painting in gratitude for the miraculous graces. This miraculous painting now has almost 400 votive offerings! The title of Patroness of Lithuania has been given to the painting.
The monument of St. John Paul II was consecrated in the churchyard of the Basilica. It marks the fact that the church of Trakai is included in the Pilgrimage route of John Paul II.
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