September 9th 1754: Consecration of Holy Trinity Column, the Baroque pride of Olomouc
On September 9th 1754, the Baroque column of the Holy Trinity was consecrated by the bishop of Olomouc, Cardinal Ferdinand Julius Troyer, in the presence of the imperial-royal couple Maria Theresa and Francis I of Lorraine. Today, this UNESCO-status monument is a magnet for tourists from all over the world.
The column dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built in Olomouc on Horní náměstí by local stonemason Václav Render and his successors. The main purpose of the construction of the column was to celebrate the Catholic Church and its faith, partly out of a feeling of gratitude for the end of the plague that struck Moravia between 1714 and 1716. It is the largest group of Baroque statues in one sculpture in Central Europe. The people of Olomouc are still proud of the fact that only local artists participated in its construction.
Monument under wraps
On December 2nd, 2000, the Baroque column of the Holy Trinity was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. This increased its appeal, and tourists from all over the world flocked to the historic centre of Olomouc, most from Japan, China or South Korea. But if you visit today, you will be out of luck. The unique monument was damaged by the weather and earlier restoration interventions. The column is undergoing extensive renovations and should be under scaffolding and sheets until the end of 2026.
The decoration of the more than 32-metre-high landmark of the city consists of three levels of six statues of saints, among which you can find St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, and even the Polish-Czech priest Jan Sarkander, who was not yet canonised at the time of its construction.
On the first and second floors of the building there are reliefs of the apostles, while the lower part is a small chapel. At the top of the column is a monumental sculpture of the Holy Trinity, symbolised by the sun.
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