Statue of Archangel Gabriel

One of the most well-known symbols of Hungary is the statue of the Archangel Gabriel, the central figure of the millennial monument on Heroes’ Square. György Zala’s Gabriel has been watching over the city from a Corinthian column since 1901, i.e. for more than 120 years. If you visit Budapest, it’s a must to go and see it. But are you familiar with the emblematic Hungarian legend about the important role of the Archangel Gabriel? Do you know what is happening with the statue, which has recently "descended" from its post? Here, you can read everything you need to know about Gabriel’s past, present and future.

Millennial monument on Heroes’ Square

 

The General Assembly of Budapest submitted a petition to the National Assembly in 1891 initiating the construction of a public monument to commemorate the thousand-year history of the nation as part of the Millennial Celebrations. The end of Andrássy Road by the City Park was designated as the location, while the design commission went to architect Albert Schickedanz and sculptor György Zala, who opted for the historicising style of representation: fourteen king statues were erected in the half-crescent of the monument and a soaring column surmounted by a statue of the Archangel Gabriel was placed at its centre.

 

Why the Archangel Gabriel?

 

Gabriel is one of the seven archangels. He is the angel of renewal and resurrection, and the messenger of God. As legend has it, Pope Sylvester II initially wanted to give the Holy Crown to the ruler of Poland, but he had a dream in which the Archangel Gabriel told him to give it to whatever envoy would arrive from an unknown country the following morning. Early the next morning, the Hungarian envoy, Astrik, the archbishop of Kalocsa, arrived in Rome and presented himself to the Pope to request a royal crown for Grand Prince Stephen. Following the Archangel Gabriel’s instructions in the dream, Pope Sylvester II gave Astrik the sanctified crown. The pope also gave Astrik a cross endowing Stephen with apostolic rights recognising his merits in spreading the Christian faith. The crown and double cross in the hand of the statue of the Archangel Gabriel symbolise the vision the pope saw in his dream as well as the birth of the Christian Hungarian state.

Interesting facts about the sculpture

 

• The bronze statue is nearly five metres tall and stands on a 36-metre Corinthian column at the centre of the Millennial Monument.

 

• The core of the bronze sphere is a minimum of 0.5-1-tonne to counterbalance the wind pressure impacting the archangel’s wings.

 

• The sculpture is composed of cast bronze elements with a wall thickness of 3-6 mm and is stabilised with an internal steel structure to withstand the wind pressure and hold the sizable wings.

 

• The cast elements were made in the Gladenbeck Bronze Foundry’s workshop at 175 Váci Road, Budapest. The statue of Gabriel was the first one to be completed among the figures of the monument.

 

• Before being mounted on its final location, the statue was sent to Paris, to the Exposition Universelle of 1900, where it won the grand prix as the emblematic artwork of the Hungarian section.

The full-scale restoration of the statue is imperative

 

The renovation of the monument took place in the mid-1990s, during the mille centenary of the Hungarian conquest. However, a lack of time and resources meant that the structure of the archangel statue was left intact and only surface repairs were carried out. When the archangel statue was cleaned and re-patinated in 2021, prior to the International Eucharistic Congress, the National Heritage Institute was informed that damage to the piece was more extensive than anticipated and necessitated new and far more comprehensive restoration. The fastenings of the main bronze figure and the bronze ornaments of the Corinthian capital below it are in a critical condition, and so their removal and comprehensive restoration in a workshop are imperative.

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After 120 years, the angel is leaving its post

 

In December 2023, a detailed assessment of the statue’s condition was made, based on which an extensive restoration plan was drawn up, with special attention to the sculpturally valuable parts, such as the inscription “ZALA GYÖRGY 1897”, and to the complete conservation of the figurative sections. In summer 2024, experts drew up the highly complex lifting off and transportation process, and the angel physically left its post at the end of the same year.

Exhibition titled The Guardian Angel of Hungary. The Statue of Gabriel on Heroes’ Square

 

While experts are carrying out the full restoration of the bronze statue, you will have plenty to see, since a free exhibition titled The Guardian Angel of Hungary. The Statue of Gabriel on Heroes’ Square opened in the City Park Visitor Centre. The special exhibition not only presents the history of the emblematic statue but includes a 1:1 replica of György Zala’s almost five-metre-tall original work, as well as other relevant and interesting details. Take the opportunity now since you might have to wait another 120 years for the next chance – pay a visit to the angel.

The Guardian Angel of Hungary – Gabriel’s Statue at Heroes’ Square
Periodic exhibition
City Park Visitor Center

The Guardian Angel of Hungary – Gabriel’s Statue at Heroes’ Square

An impressive exhibition space has opened in the City Park Visitor Center, located in the building of the Museum of Ethnography. Here, a life-size replica of the statue of Archangel Gabriel has been installed. This allows visitors to get up close and personal with the artwork - which is otherwise only visible from a height of 36 meters -, and even take photos with it. The free exhibition is further enhanced by spectacular projections.

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