Church of the Apostle St. Bartholomew in Ratnyčia

The Lithuanian Gothic-style church of the Apostle St. Bartholomew dates back to 1650, and was established by the nobleman Kazimierz Leon Sapieha. At that time, the house of worship, which was named after one of the 12 apostles mentioned in the New Testament, was the filial church of Merkinė—the so-called church without a parish.

In 1676, Michał Pac built another church here, and in 1762 a wooden church was built on the site. Unfortunately, neither of these buildings survived. In 1910 however, on the initiative of the priest Pranciškus Bernotas and with the help of donations from local parishioners and benefactors, the Church of the Apostle St. Bartholomew was rebuilt, brought back to life and opened once again for the local Catholic community.