Sedes Sapientiae – Eternal

The exhibition Sedes Sapientiae – Eternal presents a Seated Madonna with Christ Child from the Museum Montanelli (MuMo) collection at Nerudova 13 in Prague 1. This medieval sculpture is part of the major exhibition The Premyslids – A Ruling Dynasty and Its Era, which opened on April 24, 2026 at the Historic Building of the National Museum in collaboration with the Prague Castle Administration and runs until October 15, 2026. The entire exhibition includes over 900 artifacts borrowed from nearly seventy institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad, and maps more than 500 years of Czech history from the legendary beginnings of the Premyslid dynasty to its end in 1306.

The Seated Madonna from MuMo is, according to material research, the oldest surviving polychrome wooden sculpture of the Madonna with Christ Child in the Czech Republic – radiocarbon dating (14C) places it between 990–1180. Based on the composition of pigments, particularly the presence of vivianite and azurite, it can be classified among devotional objects created by one of the Bavarian monastic workshops. The iconographic type Sedes Sapientiae (Throne of Wisdom) depicts Mary as the embodiment of the Church and Mother of Wisdom.

Museum Montanelli is a private non-profit institution founded by the DrAK Foundation, and contributes its Seated Madonna to the exhibition as evidence of medieval spiritual culture of the Premyslid era. The exhibition at the National Museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Admission to MuMo: adults 100 CZK, students with ISIC card 50 CZK, groups of 8 or more 50 CZK/person, seniors 65+, disabled visitors, and children under 14 free. The museum is accessible a 5-minute walk from the Malostranské náměstí tram stop.