In the very centre of Anykščiai is the Sacral Art Centre, home to the famous Museum of Angels. The first museum of its kind in Lithuania has an interesting history: it was conceived and founded by Beatričė Kleizaitė-Vasaris, a Lithuanian from abroad who returned to her homeland as soon as the winds of freedom began to blow. The museum began with a painting given to her by the painter Jonas Daniliauskas, "Angel Kneeling before a Woman". When B. Kleizaitė-Vasaris mentioned the idea of a Museum of Angels in an interview, exhibits started pouring in from all over Lithuania. Friends and acquaintances, and later artists and folk artists, donated sculptures, figurines and paintings. A great deal of help came from the architect Dr. habil. Algimantas Miškinis of Kaunas, who would find old folk sculptures in antique shops and pass them on to the collector. Today you will see both old folk art and works by contemporary artists. Angels are donated to the museum by artists, individuals, organisations and foreign embassies. Since 2017 you can travel around Anykščiai along the "Angel Trail", and when you complete it you will receive a special gift at the Museum of Angels! In the other exhibition of the Anykščiai Sacral Art Centre you will discover valuable works of church art. It is based on the personal art collection, library and archive of Monsignor Albertas Talačka, bequeathed to the Anykščiai parish. The monsignor's legacy has been kept and displayed at the Anykščiai Sacral Art Centre since 2009. The monsignor's art collection contains over 50 works, among them works by Carlo Maratti, Johann Baptist Lampi, Szymon Czechowicz, Jan Rustem, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius, Kazys Šimonis, Česlovas Kontrimas and others. There are also seven 17th–19th-century works by unknown Western European, Lithuanian and Polish artists. The highlight of the collection deserves a special mention – "The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple" by the Italian painter Carlo Maratti (1625–1713), one of the most prominent artists in Rome in the late 17th century. This work would be worthy of a place in the permanent exhibition of any museum, in Lithuania or abroad. The library holds more than 4,000 books and about 400 manuscripts, including 19th-century publications and valuable albums and books in German, English, Russian and other languages. The centre also runs the educational lessons "Angel Magic", and you can find a mysterious angels' mailbox where you can leave a note for your guardian angel. After all, they say angels grant every wish – you just have to ask very sincerely. So if you want not only to discover old and contemporary art but also to soak up a bright and positive mood, you should not miss the Anykščiai Sacral Art Centre and its Museum of Angels.