Church of Saint Maurice, Gothic church in Olomouc, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint Maurice is a Gothic church with a triple nave, its southern tower predating 1403 and its northern tower built in 1412. The southern tower is pale plastered with a low roof, next to a cylindrical stair turret; the northern tower is rough brown stone with crenellations and louvered arched windows. Inside, clustered piers rise to ribbed vaults, with a dark Baroque side altar and a raised chancel holding a carved altarpiece.
A church existed here by 1257, when it was first recorded under Bishop Bruno von Schauenburg, who promoted the cult of Saint Maurice in Moravia. Fires in 1398, 1404 and 1411 destroyed the Romanesque-Gothic building; only the massive southern tower survived. The present triple nave was built from 1412 to 1492 and finished by 1540, with the northern tower added in 1412 and a brick top with crenellations in 1517.
The church keeps a replica of the Olivet Mountain group in its original colours, while the Gothic originals are held in the Archdiocesan Museum. A side altar is dedicated to Saint Pauline, patroness of Olomouc, and the baroque organ of 1745 by Michael Engler the Younger has five manuals and 95 registers. Since 1969 the church has hosted the International Organ Festival.
The church stands in the city centre near Horní náměstí. The southern tower is open as a lookout tower after the 2018–2021 restoration, and the northern tower houses an organ museum. The building is a National Cultural Monument, so expect restoration work at times.
The south tower has been open as a lookout since the 2018–2021 restoration, which also repaired the facade and created an organ museum in the north tower. The organ, finished in 1745 by Michael Engler the Younger, has five manuals and 95 registers and was extended by Rieger-Kloss in 1959–1971.
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