A stone Gothic palace was built in the 15th century after a fire in 1419. Sigismund I the Old ordered the Renaissance reconstruction of 1520 to 1530, reportedly costing 100,000 ducats, and Bartolomeo Berrecci probably prepared the plan. Under Sigismund III Vasa it was refurbished in an early Baroque style. Fire followed the Muscovite capture of 1655, and the palace was almost entirely demolished in 1801.
The modern reconstruction started in 2002, from a design by Rimas Grigas that won a 1993 competition. Critics note that it used reinforced concrete, unknown in the original. The first block opened on July 6, 2013 and the full museum on July 6, 2018. The infobox gives a rebuild of 2002 to 2009, which conflicts with the text.
It is a national museum and hosts state events. It is a National Cultural Monument, and part of Vilnius Old Town, a UNESCO site since 1994.
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