Today the main building of the castle complex is Vilnius Cathedral, thought to have been on the site of an altar for a sacred fire and the worship of the god Perkunas (Thunder) in pagan times.

King Mindaugas built the first Christian church here in 1251. The pagan cult revived after his death. Grand Duke Jogaila finally extinguished the sacred fire, and erected a new Christian church in 1387.

It was rebuilt by Vytautas the Great after the fire of 1419. Fires continued to damage the Gothic form brick edifice, and it was rebuilt and renovated several times. Its reconstruction according to a design by architect Laurynas Gucevičius followed a devastating storm in 1769, and reached completion in 1820 under architect Michael Schulz.