Lapidarium of the National Museum, Praha

The Lapidarium in Prague is the largest permanent exhibition dedicated to historical stone sculptures, tombs, and architectural fragments originating from Bohemia, with a significant portion from Prague itself. It houses valuable stone art dating from the 11th to the early 20th century.

František Palacký, an early supporter of the National Museum, advocated for the collection of stone monuments and artifacts in 1839. This initiative laid the groundwork for the eventual establishment of the Lapidarium.

The precursor to the Lapidarium, known as the Exhibition of Monuments of Old Architecture and Exhibition of Architecture and Engineering, was held at the Výstaviště Praha in 1898. The building for this exhibition was designed by architect Antonín Wiehl for the 1891 world's fair.

The Lapidarium officially opened its doors to the public with its first permanent exhibition in 1905. This marked a significant step in preserving and displaying stone art.

The museum was closed from 1914 to 1932 due to the effects of World War I. This extended closure period significantly impacted its operations.

The Lapidarium experienced another closure from 1939 to 1954, this time due to World War II. This period highlights the impact of major global conflicts on cultural institutions.

The museum underwent a significant period of renovations and reconstruction from 1967 to 1993. This major undertaking aimed to preserve and modernize the exhibition spaces.

The Lapidarium holds Romanic fragments from the crypt of St. Vitus Cathedral, dating back to the late 11th century, showcasing some of the oldest artifacts in its collection.

The collection includes Romanic stove tiles decorated with reliefs of various figures such as lions, gryphons, sphinxes, and Emperor Nero, originating from the basilica on Prague-Vyšehrad.

Nearly 900 fragments, including eight tombstones with engraved figures of abbots and various architectural pieces from the 11th to 13th centuries, were acquired from archaeological excavations of the Benedictine abbey Ostrov (Insula).

The Lapidarium houses six original Gothic statues from the Charles Bridge Tower, including depictions of Emperor Charles IV, King Wenceslas IV, and patron saints.

The Krocin's water fountain, carved from rose marble and originating from Old Town Square, was moved to the museum between 1911 and 1914.

Fragments of the Virgin Mary Immaculata with four archangels fighting dragons, originally created by Johann Georg Bendl in 1650 for the Old Town Square, are housed in the museum. These were destroyed by anarchists in 1918.

The Hall of the Charles Bridge features seven original Baroque groups of statues, including notable works by Matthias Bernard Braun and Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff, such as 'Ecstasy of Saint Ludgardis' and 'The Apotheosis of St Ignatius of Loyola'.

The museum displays the first statue of the Bohemian patron saint Wenceslas, created by Johann Georg Bendl in 1680 for Wenceslas Square. Another St. Wenceslas statue depicts the saint picking wine grapes.

Allegorical statues from the garden of the summer palace America, projected by Kilian Ignac Dienzenhofer, represent Rococo style within the Lapidarium's collection.

The Hall of Habsburg' Emperors includes equestrian statues of Francis I and standing figures of Franz Joseph I, originally cast in brass for public spaces and later moved to the Lapidarium after World War I.

Marble busts of Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, sculpted by Antonín Pavel Wagner in 1891, were originally intended for the National Museum's Pantheon and later moved back after its reconstruction in 2019.

In 1995, the Lapidarium received recognition as one of the ten most beautiful museum exhibitions in Europe, highlighting its significant contribution to cultural presentation.