Jesuit Church of St. Peter and Paul is located on the Theatre Street and is considered one of the first monuments of Baroque architecture in Lviv. In 1610, the Jesuits (members of the monastic order of the Roman Catholic Church) began its construction. It is known that at the very beginning the works were managed by monk Sebastian Lamhaus, and continued – by D. Briano. The church was almost finished by 1630. According to the very forms the church reminds the church of il Gesu in Rome. At that time its dimensions were impressive: 41 meters long, 22 meters wide and 26 m in height.

The church is three-nave (three elongated premises, limited with the rows of columns or pillars), with a weak external apse (protrusion of the building, blocked or closed with semidome or semivault). The main facade consists of two levels. The lower part is decorated with six monumental pilasters (vertical projection of the wall, conventionally representing a column). In the four niches there are placed statues of Jesuit saints. South facade looks much more modest and restrained. From this side in 1702 there was erected the tower of the church, which was the highest in Lviv in those days. In 1756 there was set up the clock. In 1830, after the accident, which happened with the Lviv city hall, it was decided to dismantle the tower of the church and remain only the first layer next to the apse. The vaults of the church were painted with the frescoes of Moravian artists J. and S. Eckstein in 1740.

After the fire in 1734, the Jesuit church interior was capitally renovated. Among the sculptures and decorative carving there singles out the altar, built in 1747 in Baroque style. In the XIX century the artists Makarevich, Reyhman, Yablonsky worked on the decoration and restoration of the temple.

In our time there is a book depository library by V. Stefanyk in the church. The underground of the Jesuit Church can be visited on an excursion. The Sts. Peter and Paul Church of the Jesuit Order is a religious Baroque monument dating back to 1610-1630 and one of the largest churches in Lviv.

The Jesuits, having gained a foothold in Lviv in the early 17th century, launched the construction of their church in 1610. Italian constructor Jacomo Briano, having just returned from Italy, brought the first signs of a new architectural style – the Baroque - to our city. Thus, the Church of the Jesuits in Lviv, completed in 1630, was probably the first church in Eastern Europe built in the early Baroque style. Briano took the Church of the Gesù in Rome as an example for his creative work.

The Church in Lviv became the third Jesuit church in the largest European state at that time Rzeczpospolita and the largest church in Lviv, able to accommodate 5,000 parishioners. Figures of Jesuit saints are found in the niches of the main eastern façade. Inside the church are gravestones of the famous commander and defender of Lviv from the Tatars, Stanislaw Jablonowski, and the magnate Diduszycki family. The church interior is decorated with numerous works of decorative painting and sculpture dating back to the 18-19th centuries. Since 1773 the Jesuits had been banished from Lviv several times, and several times they had returned. At present the edifice accommodates a book depository, although there are plans to hand the Sts. Peter and Paul Church over to the religious community.

The church adjoins the building of the former Jesuit College, which features a picturesque portal and and an inscription: 1723. In 1661 the first university on Ukrainian territory was founded here. The building façade bears a plaque recounting that one of the most prominent leaders of the Ukrainian nation, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, was a student of the Jesuit College.

Peter’s and Paul’s church played its role even in the history of Lviv’s beer. Once there was a passage that led to Jesuits warehouses from a street, but the street was very narrow (only 4 metres), and the warehouses’ gates were opening outside that hindered passers-by. So, the nearest brewery owner filed a complaint to the magistrate, seeking to force Jesuits to brick up the passage.

Monks were reluctant to comply with the Lviv’s citizens request, and wrote a counter-complaint. Saying, that a smoke, which rises above the area, when the beer is brewed in the brewery hinders them. Moreover, this smoke damages the frescoes of the church! Whether the magistrate could close the brewery, thereby preserving valuable wall-painting, and in this vacant building the monks would organize an orphanage? ... And this time the city followed vox populi - yes the brewery passed into the hands of Jesuits. However, they didn’t make any orphanage there, continuing to brew beer.

After all this, is it surprising that Jesuits weren’t loved in the city and even several times were expelled from it? :) Even rumors of miraculous healing at the beginning of XVIIIth century, before the icon of Mary Consoler (this icon was taken to Wroclaw in 1946) of a terrible sinner, whom a burden of sins prevented from entering of any church - until the wretched person, who was searching for death a long time and almost vainly, heard a voice from the church of Apostles Peter and Paul, where he began to pray, and then died.

Another true story is recorded in the funds of manuscripts of Stefanik’s library: during the Mass in the 1790-ies in the gigantic church, which accommodated up to 5 000 worshipers, a woman felt bad - and asked for a glass of water. A broken phone began to work and people decided that a fire started and panicky rushed to the exit. In this crush many crippled themselves, there were also perished ones.

Facade of the church is decorated with Corinthian order pilasters, niches with statues of Saints (installed in 1896) and ornamental carving of shutters. The church endured the restorations and reconstructions in 1740 (then appeared side naves, walls and vaults were painted by Francisco and Sebastian Ekshtein from Brno: Francis performed 4 compositions on the vault of the main nave and after the death of the master, his son continued the work - frescoes over choirs and side naves), 1842, 1879, 1896 respectively. The rood (The sculptural crucifix), made by Jan Pfister, which was installed in the side altar is considered a valuable piece of art.