In fact, "Lapidarium" was not originally conceived as a museum of stone sculptures. Its creation was "prompted" by natural disasters, in particular floods. As you know, Prague has many bridges, some of which are literally strewn with stone works of art. A special place among them, of course, is occupied by Charles Bridge.
Every time the water level in the Vltava rose to the base of the bridge and even higher, the stone sculptures were destroyed under the воздействием of the water. That is why the local authorities decided to protect them from the forces of nature. This is how "Lapidarium" appeared - a place where stone sculptures from all over Prague that need preservation are still brought to this day.
The basis of this museum's collection was formed by works of the leading Czech sculptors - Frantisek Xaver Leder and Frantisek Maximilian Brokoff. Today, the Lapidarium exhibition is among the ten most beautiful exhibitions in Europe. About 2000 exhibits of Czech architecture from the 11th to the 20th centuries are presented in eight halls.
Many originals located in the museum building were replaced at the sites from which they were taken with exact copies. So, probably, it is no secret to anyone that all the sculptures installed on Charles Bridge are merely copies of their originals.
It is also important that all the exhibits of "Lapidarium" are displayed in strict chronological order, which allows museum visitors to easily trace the 10-century evolution of Czech architecture.
