Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Ostrów Tumski

The Statue of the Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus, known as the Monument of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, is located on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, in front of the main entrance to the Archcathedral of St. John the Baptist. Funded in 1694, it is the oldest preserved monument in Wrocław, commissioned by the Jesuits as a symbol of the triumph of Catholicism over Protestantism. The sculpture, attributed to the Dutch sculptor Sulpicius Gode, is made of sandstone and represents a style free from the influences of the Prague school, created rather in the spirit of Italian models. The statue depicts the Immaculate Virgin Mary with a halo of seven stars, wearing intricately draped robes and holding the naked Infant Jesus, who is blessing with his right hand. With her left foot, Mary rests on the globe, trampling a serpent symbolizing sin and heresy. The monument stands on a pedestal whose lower part is simple, while the upper part tapers upward, adorned with delicate floral ornamentation. On the front face of the pedestal is an inscription with the date 1694 and the prayer: "Queen of Peace, pray for us." During World War II, in 1945, the statue was damaged. In 1953, it was restored, with the destroyed head of Mary reconstructed by the Krakow sculptor Jadwiga Horodyska. The last major renovation took place in 1992, and after further damage in 2009, the head of the statue was restored on December 8 of the same year. The monument is surrounded by a balustrade, which adds elegance and emphasizes its important role in the context of local religious worship and as an architectural object that has survived despite turbulent historical events. The statue is not only a valuable work of art but also a symbol of Wrocław's spiritual heritage, attracting both the faithful and tourists.