The terrace of low town houses along Kapuzinerstrasse is interrupted by the impressive red sandstone façade of St. Ignatius Church. It features a number of grey sand stone statues, including a depiction of the church's patron saint, the martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch (✝ after 110). The church was designed by Johann Peter Jäger and constructed between 1763 and 1774. It replaced a medieval church of a local parish that was incorporated into the city of Mainz after 1200.
The church is an impressive combination of Baroque and Classicistic architecture, the first expressing joy and unquestioning faith, the latter reflecting reason and constraint. Opulent stucco with puttos is in strong contrast to the clear lines of the Classicistic elements. The ceiling depicts the life and death of St. Ignatius. It was initially painted by the Baroque artist Johann Baptist Enderle, but has since undergone extensive reworking.
One of the main treasures of the church is the Classicist organ case (1774-81) above the main entrance. The organ itself dates from 1837.
The crypt of the church is the final resting place of many clerics and members of the congregation, including the builder, the stucco artist and the carpenter who worked on the church. The church does not have a steeple and is surrounded by a parish yard with a large number of crucifixion representations and a Gothic timber crucifix. In this yard, Hans Backoffen (✝ 1519) is buried.
