Basic information
The single-nave church of the Virgin Mary of the Snow is part of a complex of former Jesuit school buildings. It was built by the local master builder Lukáš Kleckel between the years 1712-1716 based on a project by Michael Joseph Klein of Nisa. It is a typical example of a church of the Jesuit order with a crown of chapels around the main nave. The direct inspirational source for the architect was the Church of St. Nicholas on Malá Strana in Prague completed a year prior to the commencement of the construction of the Olomouc church.
A significant feature of the undulating facade of the church is the monumental portal with twisted columns, a balcony with a balustrade and cartouche with the inscription IHS. The portal was made by the local stonemason Václav Render.
The church’s interior has a rich stucco and painting decoration. There is a ceiling painting by the Viennese painter Josef Karl Haringer on the church vaulting. Among altar paintings in the side chapels, there are also two paintings by Jan Kryštof Handke (with scenes from the life of St. Francis Xavier). The local sculptor Augustin Jan Thomasberger and Jan Sturmer from the Prussian Königsberg were in charge of the Baroque sculptural decoration.The organ was created by Johann Gottfried Halbich from Kralice in the first half of the 18th century.