Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Mary of the Snow in Balti is one of the brightest examples of Baroque art in northern Croatia. The first mention of the church occurs in 1676 (it is referred to as a chapel). The church was built in two years by order of Elizaveta Keglievich, widow of Count Georg Keglievich.
The church looks simple: a one-story building, surrounded by a stone wall, a chapel and a sacristy are attached to it, and a tower rises from the western facade. Particular emphasis is placed on the central entrance to the church, lined with wrought iron.
Despite the simplicity of the structure and symmetrical architecture, the interior of the church is of particular interest to connoisseurs of Baroque art. The church has preserved ancient gilded wood furniture, baroque lamps and sculptures, as well as wall paintings.
Particularly impressive are the five magnificent Baroque altars and frescoes preserved on the arches and ceilings of the central nave. This is not surprising, because the frescoes were made by the famous artist of Austrian origin, the monk Ivan Ranger.
The German art critic Arthur Schneider calls the Church of Maria the Snow in Balti a pearl among the surviving examples of Baroque art.
