Church of Our Lady of the Snow in Velké Karlovice, Baroque wooden church in Velké Karlovice, Czech Republic.
The Church of Our Lady of the Snow is a wooden building constructed in the baroque style with decorative elements visible on both its exterior and interior surfaces. The structure displays the characteristic details typical of this architectural period.
The wooden church was founded in 1754 by Franz Count of Zierotin, owner of the Rožnov estate. The first Mass was held on 15 August 1754, and the dean of Valašské Meziříčí consecrated it on 21 August. A chaplain subordinate to Rožnov was appointed in 1755; the parish became independent in 1784 and was raised to a rectory in 1843.
The church's name day, the Feast of Our Lady of the Snow, is tied to a pilgrimage held on the Sunday after 5 August; the first pilgrimage took place on 21 August 1754 and continued until 1811, when the date was moved. The 1892 glass chandeliers, donated by glassworks owner Salomon Reich, hang in the interior.
The church stands in the centre of Velké Karlovice in the Moravian Wallachia region, on the valley road through the village. It is an active parish church, so visits are best timed outside Mass; the interior is usually open around services and pilgrimages.
The church has a Greek-cross ground plan with 24 corners, and its roof carries a small baroque turret with two bells. The 1892 glass chandeliers were donated by Salomon Reich, a Jewish owner of glassworks in the Valašsko region, and were wired for electricity only in 1946.
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