St. Ignatius Church, Prague

St. Ignatius Church (Czech: Kostel svatého Ignáce) is a church in Prague, Czech Republic. Located on Charles Square, the church was designed by Carlo Lurago in the early Baroque style, and built between 1655 and 1677.[1] The church was built as part of the new Nove Mesto residence of the city's Jesuits, the third largest Jesuit complex in Europe,[2] and dedicated to their patron saint and founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

St. Ignatius Church, Prague

The top of the facade carries a statue of St. Ignatius Loyola, placed there in 1671, with a halo surrounding his whole body. This feature was considered controversial at the time it was installed, as such a decoration was only considered appropriate for statues of Jesus Christ.[2] The decorative painting of the exterior was carried out by Jan Jiří Heinsch and the sculpture work was that of Matěj Václav Jäckel.[2] The interior is characterised by stucco decoration and features statues of several Jesuit and Czech saints.[2] Many of the interior furnishings of the church date from around 1770,[1] added by Jesuit painter Ignác Raab, who lived briefly at the complex.[3]