Franciscan martyrs of Vilnius

Franciscan martyrs of Vilnius are 14 semi-legendary Franciscan friars murdered in Vilnius, capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, during the reign of Algirdas (1345–77). The story was first recorded in the Bychowiec Chronicle, a generally unreliable source from the early 16th century, and was further embellished, conflated, and confused by later chroniclers and historians. Nonetheless, the cult of the martyrs spread in the 16th century. A prominent monument in Vilnius, the Three Crosses, was originally erected in their memory sometime before 1648. Around the same time Bishop Jerzy Tyszkiewicz started canonization procedures, but they were abandoned. At the advent of critical historiography in the 20th century, the story was dismissed as fictional in its entirety. However, newer research attempts to restore some credibility to the legend.

As told by the Bychowiec Chronicle, Voivode of Vilnius Petras Goštautas married a Polish lady from the House of Buczacki and converted to Catholicism. He invited 14 Franciscan monks from Podolia to Vilnius and built them a monastery. At the time the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was still a pagan country; it would convert to Christianity in 1387. The monks began preaching the Christian faith and badmouthing pagan gods. That angered city residents. While Algirdas was away at war with Moscow and Goštautas was away in Tykocin, the residents burned down the monastery and killed the monks. Seven monks were beheaded while other seven where nailed to a cross and tossed into the Neris river. Upon their return, Goštautas provided proper burial to the slain men and Algirdas ordered execution of 500 city residents. Goštautas also founded a new monastery (today's Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

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