The star of the main square in Olomouc, Czech Republic is the Holy Trinity Column, constructed between the years 1716-54 and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. The idea to build such a monumental and decorative honor column lay with the wealthy Olomouc burgher and stone mason Václav Render. In 1715, Render wrote describing his idea to the Olomouc City Council, “I shall raise a column so high and splendid it shall not have an equal in any other town.” The project was approved three months later.
After 38 long years of work with only local craftsmen, the construction of the Holy Trinity Column was completed in the summer of 1754. However, Render would not live to see the ceremonial consecration of the column that took place before Empress Maria Theresa the following September. Indeed, at the time of Render’s death in 1733, only the column’s first level with the interior chapel had been constructed. The completion of the column was possible as Render left his entire fortune to be dedicated to the work. The Holy Trinity Column is much more than a tradiitonal plague column and religious ideal, as it also proclaims local pride and support for the Habsburg rule.
On the ground level of the column, one can see the 12 religious figures of six apostles as well as Sts. Anthony of Padua and John of Capistrano (of the Franciscan order), Florian (protector from fires), Aloysius of Gonzaga (of the Jesuit order), Moritz (patron saint of Austria), and Wenceslas (patron saint of the Czech Republic). The presence of the Jesuit and the Franciscan reflects the importance of these orders in Olomouc.
Above them are the remaining six apostles and Sts. Blaise, Cyril and Methodius (patron saints of Moravia), Adalbert (patron saint of Bohemia), Jan Sarkander, and John of Nepomuk. The latter two represent Catholic martyrs whose cults played a significant role in the counter-reformation against Protestants in the Czech lands, as they were important figures in the efforts of the Catholic church and of the Habsburgs to eliminate Protestant support. Sarkander had been tortured and killed in Olomouc, Nepomuk in Prague.
On the next level are the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, John the Baptist, St. Jerome (patron saint of the Olomouc town hall chapel), and the martyr St. Lawrence.
The gilded sculptures show the Holy Trinity at the top of the colum, and beneath can be found the Archangel Michael as well as the Virgin Mary being carried up by angels.
Visitors will notice a gilded canon ball on the upper left side of the chapel entrance. This replica represents the attack of the Prussian armies during the Third Silesian War in , only four years after the consecration of the column. Legend has it that local citizens lobbied the Prussian general not to destroy the Holy Trinity Column. This general was James Keith, a Scottish Jacobite who had attempted to restore the Catholic Stuart dynasty back to the British throne. Keith complied with this request, and the column was saved from further damage during the war.
Today, the Holy Trinity Column stands as a symbol of the city of Olomouc. Locals and visitors alike gather on its steps to enjoy the atmosphere of the magnificent city square. It is such a grand sight that personally, we feel the real beckoning of Olomouc as soon as we see the beautiful column.
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