Rupert Fink’s Pharmacy

Only two or three pharmacies operated in the early 16th-century Vilnius, but that completely sufficed, as the city was fairly small with the population not exceeding 30,000 inhabitants.

Every pharmacist was able to distil all kinds of alcoholic beverages, such as vodka, nalewka, and strongly aromatised liqueurs. That’s when he required an alembic, a distillation apparatus present in every pharmacy. Some called it the king of the Renaissance pharmacy.

In pursuit of larger profits and greater prestige, they settled their businesses exclusively in the centre of the city, in the vicinity of the Lower Castle, and on the present-day Vilnius street, later – in the Pilies, Didžioji, and Vokiečių streets. Several buildings have survived where pharmacies operated in the 16th century: Didžioji St. 6 (Jablka’s), Didžioji St. 8 (Gambina’s), and Pilies St. 20 (Rupert Fink’s).

Rupert Fink’s pharmacy in the second half of the 16th century was one of the biggest pharmacies in the city. He was a royal physician, who came from Germany
There are several famous stories related to Rupert Fink. To learn more about pharmacies and a famous pharmacist Ruper Fink by clicking on this link.

Address: Pilies St. 20