7 iconic places where wishes come true

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Even in the 21st century, people continue to believe in miracles and sometimes go to the ends of the world for the sole purpose of testing on themselves the effect of strange rituals that bring good luck back into life. Fortunately, such "places of fulfillment of desires" exist in almost all countries. We invite you to get acquainted with those places and rituals associated with them, where people constantly rush, believing in their magical power.

Gargoyle head, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Walking along the main street in Dubrovnik, at the entrance to the Old Town through the arch, you can see a strange head protruding 15 centimeters from the stone wall. It is located right next to the entrance to the Franciscan monastery and the stairs leading to the city walls.

The top of the head is polished to a marble shine, and the wall above the gargoyle bears the imprints of thousands of hands. According to legend, luck in love will accompany those who jump on their heads and can not only keep their balance on a strange head, but also manage, standing on this tiny stone platform facing the wall, to take off their shirt.

Once this head was an ordinary drainpipe, but later the communication system was changed. Water no longer flows through this pipe, but the gargoyle itself still gives people the belief in miracles.

Watch Monkey, Mons, Belgium

This small metal monkey is located immediately outside the entrance to the Mons City Hall, but no one can reliably explain the purpose of the metal guard. Some believe that it was a kind of "shameful pillar" to which criminals were chained for public censure, others believe that the small stature of the monkey indicates its use to punish children.

There is an assumption that the metal guard could be part of the sign of the tavern, which has long ceased to exist. One thing is certain: the guard monkey is supportive of those who pat it on the head. For this affection, she is ready to return good luck to the life of an attentive passer-by and even fulfill his desire.

Bronze boar, Florence, Italy

This bronze sculpture of a wild boar was originally created in 1934 by the Baroque master Pietro Tacca. Initially, the statue was supposed to adorn the fountain in the famous Italian Boboli gardens, but was eventually placed on the fountain in the Mercato Nuovo in front of the pharmacy. The statue itself is partially hollow inside so that tourists and visitors can put a coin inside for good luck.

The boar, according to many visitors to this place, will certainly fulfill the desire if you rub its face. In 1998, the original statue was placed in a museum, and a copy was installed in its place. Along with the copy that stands in Mercato Nuovo, several more bronze boars were apparently made, one of which is now installed in Sydney, and the other - on the territory of the University of Arkansas.

Gänseliesel, Göttingen, Germany

This statue is a kind of visiting card of Göttingen in Lower Saxony in Germany. Every year a festival is held in her honor, and the statue itself is decorated with fresh flowers. After graduate students from the university have defended their Ph. D. theses, young scientists head to the Gänseliesel statue, decorate it with flowers and kiss it for good luck. This ritual made Gänseliesel the most kissable girl in the world, and gave all the participants in the ritual faith in good luck.

Magic owl, Dijon, France

This small wooden owl sits at the corner of the oldest church in Dijon. For three centuries now, this little owl has been tirelessly fulfilling the desires of those who reach out to her and stroke her warm muzzle. You need to touch the owl only with your left hand, while making a wish. And legends say that a nondescript owl fulfills all desires, without exception, if they are conceived with pure thoughts.

The owl in Notre Dame de Dijon has become the symbol and unofficial mascot of the city. No one knows how the owl appeared in the church, it is only assumed that it was carved during the construction of a new chapel in the 16th century. For several centuries, the owl's face has ceased to be recognizable and now looks more like a molten wax candle. However, hundreds of people are still rushing to the mascot of the city so that the owl will again fulfill some very important wish.

Point Zero, Paris, France

The point, which is considered the center of the capital of France, is especially popular among both tourists and locals. The center of Paris is marked by an octagonal brass plate, which is not too conspicuous, but the one who finds it will be rewarded in the form of a wish fulfillment. True, in order to get his portion of magic, a person will have to perform certain rituals.

For example, if you kiss a loved one over this stove, this will ensure mutual love and devotion for life, and if you spin on one leg on this stove, it is quite possible that life will sparkle with new colors due to the acquisition of personal happiness. Many tourists leave their coins here to return to Paris. After the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral, the wish-fulfilling slab is still out of the reach of passers-by.

Lincoln's Tomb, Springfield, Illinois, USA

The Tomb of Abraham Lincoln is a very popular place to visit for those looking to face their luck. However, it is not enough just to visit Lincoln's resting place, you must by all means rub your nose at a large bronze copy of Lincoln's head, installed near the entrance. No one knows where the legend came from that this simple ritual returns good luck, but every year thousands of people rub the bronze nose of the 16th President of the United States to a shine.

On the outskirts of Istanbul is the modest mausoleum of Telli Baba, where a lot of people come every day and wedding corteges come. The former are waiting for personal happiness to appear in their lives, and the latter want to thank for the fulfillment of their dreams.