Church of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Baroque Jesuit church on Náměstí Míru in Klatovy, Czech Republic
The Church of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Ignatius of Loyola stands on Náměstí Míru in Klatovy, built on a Latin-cross plan modelled on the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Rome. Its front facing the square carries two towers, and the entrance portal of 1730–1735 is the work of Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. Inside, early 18th-century painting and stucco accompany the main altar made by Jan Hiebel in 1716–1717.
Construction began in 1656 on the site of 17 demolished burgher houses, with Carlo Lurago as architect; structural problems led to a new contract with Giovanni Domenico Orsi in 1666. The shell was finished in 1671, the first Mass said in 1675 and consecration followed in 1679. A fire set by French saboteurs on 8 July 1689 damaged the church; restoration lasted until 1712 and it was reconsecrated in 1717.
The church is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Its two towers face Náměstí Míru, and the sculpted figures in the facade niches were added in 1743. The main altar, carved by Jan Hiebel in 1716–1717, stands beneath painting and stucco work from the early 18th century.
The church stands on Náměstí Míru, the main square of Klatovy, not on a street. Its two towers and the facade with statues in niches face the square, so the building is easy to find on foot from the centre. The catacombs beneath the western part of the church, built together with the church in 1656–1676, are a separate sight to look for.
Beneath the western part of the church lie the Klatovy Catacombs, built together with the church between 1656 and 1676 as a burial place for Jesuits and for noble and burgher benefactors. The church was gutted by a fire on 8 July 1689, set by French saboteurs, and was not reconsecrated until 1717.
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