Church of St Ignatius of Loyola (Masarykovo square, Hauptplatz)

German: Kirche St. Ignatius von Loyola. Central square.

This single-bay church with three pairs of side chapels and a flat chancel termination is a typical early Baroque structure. Formerly belonging to the Jesuit Order, it was built in the years 1683-89 by Jacopo Brascha, an Italian builder.

The large ceiling fresco was painted in 1717 by Karl Töpper; the interesting illusionary altar is the work of Adam Lauter, Josef Kramolin, and František Moldinger. The appealing atmosphere of the interior is underlined by beautiful stuccos that were created by J. B. Brantani and P. A. Karroff. The pride of the church are two unique Gothic sculptures: a Pieta from the late 14th century, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful Bohemian Madonnas, and a so-called P?emysl’s Cross, a mid-14th-century sculpture of crucified Jesus. The Baroque pulpit, dated to 1771, is the work of Tobias Süssmayer.

Thanks to excellent acoustics and a high-quality organ, the church was able to open a tradition of organizing concerts of spiritual music which have become very popular.

Next to the church is a sizable building, a Jesuit dormitory built in the years 1699-1711 by J. Brascha and T. Schopper. A part of the building is taken up by the library. The catacombs can be entered from the adjacent courtyard. In the years 1720-1727, T. Schopper also built a Jesuit Gymnasium, thus complementing the Jesuit campus. The building also houses the District Archives.

Jihlava. Church of St Ignatius of Loyola (Masarykovo square, Hauptplatz).