The Holy Trinity Column (Czech: Sloup Nejsvětější Trojice) in Olomouc, Czech Republic, is a large Baroque monument built between 1716 and 1754. Its main purpose was to honor the Catholic Church and faith, partly because people were grateful for ending a plague that affected Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic) between 1713 and 1715. The monument also showed pride in the local community, as all the artists and skilled workers who created it were citizens of Olomouc, and most of the saints shown in the artwork were connected to the city in some way.
It is the largest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the height of central European Baroque artistic expression."
History
According to the ICOMOS evaluation of this heritage, "the creation of Marian (plague) columns on town squares is a feature of the Baroque period, which began after the Council of Trent. These columns are based on images from the Book of Revelation. The earliest known example is the column in the Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, built in 1614.
The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc was the final result of the work of many artists and skilled workers. However, most of them did not earn much from this project. Wenzel Render, a mason and imperial architect, was the first to die during the construction. He had the idea to build the column, convinced the city council to support it, designed it, built the first part, and helped pay for it. His successors, Franz Thoneck, Johann Wenzel Rokický, and Augustin Scholtz, also died before the column was completed. Johann Ignaz Rokický finished the work. Phillip Sattler began the sculptural decoration, but after his death, Andreas Zahner continued and created 18 sculptures and 9 reliefs over seven years before he died. Goldsmith Simon Forstner made the gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity and the Assumption of the Virgin. He completed his work but suffered health problems from using toxic mercury during the gilding process.
After the Holy Trinity Column was completed in 1754, it became a source of pride for Olomouc because all the people involved in its creation were from the town. The column was officially blessed in a grand celebration attended by Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I.
Four years later, during a siege by a Prussian army, the column was damaged by cannon fire. The citizens of Olomouc held a procession to ask the Prussian general, James Keith, to stop attacking the monument. General Keith agreed. After the war, the column was repaired, and a replica of a stone cannonball was placed in its base to mark where it was hit.
Description
The column shows gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity, with the Archangel Gabriel at the top and the Assumption of the Virgin below.
The base of the column has three levels, each surrounded by 18 stone sculptures of saints and 14 reliefs in detailed cartouches. At the top level are saints connected to Jesus’ life on Earth, including Saint Anne and Saint Joachim (his mother’s parents), Saint Joseph (his legal father), and Saint John the Baptist (who prepared for Jesus’ arrival). These saints are joined by Saint Lawrence and Saint Jerome, who were honored in the chapel of the Olomouc town hall. Three reliefs show the Three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love.
The middle level includes Moravian saints Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius (Czech: Metoděj), who brought Christianity to Great Moravia in 863. Saint Methodius became the Moravian Archbishop. Other figures here are Saint Blaise (after whom a major Olomouc church is named), Saint Adalbert of Prague (Czech: Vojtěch) and Saint John of Nepomuk (Czech: Jan Nepomucký), who were important in neighboring Bohemia.
At the lowest level, statues include Austrian patron Saint Maurice and Bohemian patron Saint Wenceslas (Czech: Václav), after whom two Olomouc churches were named. Other figures are Austrian patron Saint Florian (a protector against disasters, especially fire), Saint John of Capistrano (Czech: Jan Kapistránský), who preached in Olomouc, Saint Anthony of Padua (a member of the Franciscan Order, which had a monastery in Olomouc), and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (a patron of students). The statue of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga shows how proud Olomouc was of its university.
Reliefs of all twelve apostles are placed among these sculptures.
John Sarkander
The last saint missing from this list is St. John Sarkander (Czech Jan Sarkander). His statue, which shows him holding a lily to represent purity, is located on the second stage. John Sarkander was a priest who was tortured and killed in Olomouc prison at the start of the Thirty Years' War. According to the legend, he refused to break the seal of confession. Placing him in this location went against tradition because he had not been officially recognized as a saint or even honored as a blessed person at that time. This decision could have caused problems with the Holy See. However, because many people supported him, the craftsmen chose to take the risk. St. John Sarkander was officially honored as a blessed person in 1859 and later declared a saint in 1995 during Pope John Paul II's visit to Olomouc.
Inner chapel
The column contains a small chapel with images showing Cain's offering from his crops, Abel's offering of the first animals from his flock, Noah's first burnt offering after the Flood, Abraham's offering of Isaac and a lamb, and Jesus's death. In the background of the final relief, the cities of Jerusalem and Olomouc can be seen.