A miraculous painting of Mother of God was first mentioned during a canonical visitation in 1655.
A wooden Labanoras Church was built in 1820, but it burned down in December 2009.
As of January 2011, no official report had been released.
Unofficially, the possibility of an accidental fire due to faulty electrical installation was ruled out leaving arson as the main suspect.
It is believed that the church was robbed of its over 30 valuable paintings (15 of them were state-protected monuments of art) and then burned to cover up the crime.
During the cleanup, 1,017 coins (German pfennigs, Russian kopeks, Lithuanian centas) were found under the burned altar.
A reconstruction is underway, financed by the government and private donations.
A miraculous painting of Mother of God was first mentioned during a canonical visitation in 1655. A wooden Labanoras Church was built in 1820, but it burned down in December 2009. As of January 2011, no official report had been released. Unofficially, the possibility of an accidental fire due to faulty electrical installation was ruled out leaving arson as the main suspect. It is believed that the church was robbed of its over 30 valuable paintings (15 of them were state-protected monuments of art) and then burned to cover up the crime. During the cleanup, 1,017 coins (German pfennigs, Russian kopeks, Lithuanian centas) were found under the burned altar. A reconstruction is underway, financed by the government and private donations.
Labanoras