Crkva sv. Ignacija, Dubrovnik

Crkva sv. Ignacija is the preserved Jesuit church of Dubrovnik’s former Collegium Ragusinum, a complex established in 1658 and closed in 1773. Its present church was designed by Andrea Pozzo and completed in 1725, with an imposing façade facing the square.

Inside, Gaetano Garcia painted illusionistic Baroque frescoes depicting episodes from the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. An artificial grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes was installed here in 1885 and is among Europe’s oldest examples. The monumental stairway reaching the square dates from 1738; Pietro Passalacqua designed it with the Spanish Steps in Rome as his model. The church and college now share the square called Poljana Ruđera Boškovića, while the former college buildings house a diocesan classical gymnasium and other Church facilities.