The Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (a church until 1997), a monument of Renaissance architecture, is the most striking landmark of the city. It shows new arrivals, as it were, where the city centre is. The cathedral dominates not only because of its impressive height (the top of its tower reaches 70 m), but also because of its convenient, well-chosen location. The credit for this goes to the builders of the first wooden church in Šiauliai. Motiejus Valančius claimed that it was built in 1445 through the efforts of Michał Kęsgaila, Elder of Samogitia. Little is known about it. A visitation record of 1629 states that it was wooden, old and falling apart, and that a new brick church was already being built to its left. Construction of the new church began around 1617. The initiator of the construction is considered to be Bishop Mikołaj Pac of Samogitia, and the main founder Hieronim Wołłowicz, administrator of the Šiauliai royal estate. The building work was overseen by the parish priest Petras Tarvainis, a graduate of the Vilnius Academy. On 8 October 1634 the new Šiauliai church was consecrated by Bishop Jerzy Tyszkiewicz of Samogitia. Interestingly, a mechanical clock for the town was installed in the church tower, paid for by the townspeople. The 17th-century architectural monument has come down to us somewhat altered. Wars, gales and storms damaged the church more than once. Every few decades the church was repaired and reconstructed. The building changed greatly after July 1880, when lightning struck the church tower and burned down the wooden rotunda-shaped tier of the tower, which was topped with a bell-shaped spire. The tower rebuilt at the end of the 19th century was in the shape of a many-sided pyramid, and it has survived in this form to this day. After the fire of 1880 the tower clock was not restored either. Only the sundial on the south façade of the church survived. The church building was damaged during the First World War, but it suffered most during the Second World War. The wooden parts of the building (the roof, the tower floors, stairs and spire, and the interior fittings) burned down, and works of art, altars, the organ and furniture were reduced to ashes. The side gables, having lost their connection with the roof, collapsed and broke through the vaults of the transept, the floors caved in and the crypts were exposed. In the post-war years the reconstruction took a long time – the restoration work was completed only in 1956. It was led by engineer V. Krikščiūnas and architect S. Ramunis. Later the finishing work was undertaken, the interior and surroundings were put in order, and individual parts of the building were repaired. On 8 May 1997, by decision of Pope John Paul II, the Diocese of Šiauliai was established. The church became the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Father Eugenijus Bartulis, rector of the Kaunas Inter-diocesan Seminary, was appointed the first Bishop of Šiauliai. Through the bishop's efforts the building underwent major repairs and a new altar meeting modern canons was installed. The cathedral was painted inside and out in two shades of white. Exterior lighting was installed, which is switched on for all church and Šiauliai city holidays.