Page - 337 - in Die Repräsentation der Habsburg-Lothringischen Dynastie in Musik, visuellen Medien und Architektur - 1618–1918

Representation of the Habsburgs in Croatian Historical Lands 337 he also used the money intended for the renovation of Požega’s fortifications. In July 1754, he obtained the empress’s written permit to construct a new parish church in Požega, dedicated to St Theresa, the saint protector of the same name. For that purpose, Maria Theresa allowed him to use the storage rooms under the city’s fort, the accompanying gardens, and a casern outside the city in order to secure building material. Her orders, however, met with resistance on the part of the city administra- tion, as shortly before it had illegally built three houses in the area of the fort and the moat, and had given gardens to the citizens to use.25 Despite all obstacles that Bishop Thauszy encountered in realizing his idea, the church was completed and furnished in 1763, which was recorded on a plaque on the façade of the church, above the gate, with an inscription saying: “D . O . M. / AUGUSTÃ / MARIAE THERESIAE AUSTR. PIAE. FEL. TRIUMPHATR. REG APOSTOL. / FRANCISCI I LOTHARING. AUGG. CONJUG. / PROUIDENTIÃ. / REBUS SCLAUONIAE VETERI PROPE FLORI REDDITIS / CIUE ET MILITE ORDINATIS / RELIGIONIS CULTU PROMOTO / SANCTITATE SUA LEGIBUS RESTITUTA / HAS BENEDICTO XIV. AC SUBINDE CLEMENTE XIII UERAM XTI. ECCL. MODER. / D. THERESIAE AEDES ERREXIT. / AEDIBUS ARAS. / ARIS E CLERO SUO MINISTROS ADDIDIT / NEVE DEFICERENT UNQUAM / ALUMM VIRTUTUMQUE SEMINARIUM ADJUNXIT / FRANCIS THAUSZY EPISC ZAGRAB A SECRETIORIBUS AUGG CONSIL / SUAEQUE IN SUPEROS PIETATIS IN PRINCIPP GRATI- TUD IN GREG SUUM AMORIS / MONUMENTUM POSUIT / RITU- QUE S R E CONSECRAVIT / M D C CL X I I I” The main altar (Fig. 5), completed and consecrated in the same year of 1763, belongs to the series of altars constructed in various churches of north-western Croatia and Slavonia at the initiative of Bishop Franjo Thauszy. As many others, it is made in the technique of stucco-marble (Stuckmarmor)26, and dominates the space with its somewhat typified, tectonic composition made of columns, pilasters, and a complex, spatially emphasized cornice, which bears the pediment covered with an illusionisti- cally formed, draped fabric spreading from the monumental crown of St Stephen I creating the baldachin, with a Gloria with the God’s eye in its centrally positioned triangle. The crown is adorned with two detached, symmetrically placed angels kneel- ing on the segments of volutes, which rise from the cornice above pairs of volute pilasters. The monumental Gloria and the large Holy Crown hover above the altar painting showing the ecstasy of St Theresa of Avila with a high tabernacle below, sided