Iglesia de Santa Úrsula, Baroque church in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
St. Ursula is a Baroque former convent church in Freiburg's Altstadt-Mitte, built from 1708 to 1710 to designs by Johann von Heintze. Its high altar, framed in red, brown and green marble patterns with four gold-capped columns, holds a large oval painting of figures in blue and red robes; gold scrollwork and angel statues crown the top.
The Society of Saint Ursula, founded in Dole in 1606, established a daughter convent in Freiburg in 1696; under superior Euphemia Dorer it separated from Lucerne in 1709. The foundation stone was laid on 30 April 1710 and the church was dedicated on 5 August 1710. Consecrated in 1716 to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary of the Snow, it was handed to the Old Catholic congregation in 1877, which held its first service there on 3 June 1894.
The convent complex is called the "Black Monastery" after the black habit of the Ursuline sisters, as opposed to the "White Monastery" of the Dominicans at Adelhausen. The church has belonged to the Old Catholic parish since 1894, when its first service was held there on 3 June. The high altar's iconography recalls the original dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary of the Snow.
The church is located near the city center and is easy to reach on foot or by public transportation. Visitors can use the traditional water channels called Bächle to navigate the city and explore different neighborhoods.
The high altarpiece's oval painting and marble-patterned frame reflect the church's original dedication to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary of the Snow, a patronage fixed by its 1716 consecration on 22 May. The date tied it to the feast of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
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