The church was designed by
Carlo Lurago in the early
Baroque style, and built between 1655 and 1677. The church was built as part of the new
Nove Mesto residence of the city's
Jesuits, the third largest Jesuit complex in Europe, and dedicated to their patron saint and founder of the Jesuit Order,
St. Ignatius of Loyola. The top of the
façade 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. ==See also==