A piece of the “Mala Onofrijeva” fountain (the Small Onofrio’s Fountain), a monument of invaluable culture, broke off on Saturday in Dubrovnik when a tourist leaned against it. Luckily the incident went without injury.
Poslovni.hr reports that according to eyewitnesses, at the time of the accident, tourists had leaned against the fountain to fill a bottle with water.
President of the Association of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, Niko Kapetanić, confirmed this event and stressed that restoration begin as early as Monday.
Image by NM/dubrovackidnevnik.hr
“Our employees took to the field to pick up the broken part. From Monday, we will begin work on the conservation. Adhesives today almost run better than stone, but fortunately no one was injured,” said Kapetanić.
The Mala Onofrijeva Fountain was built in front of the Main Guard as a celebration of the completed construction of the aqueduct – it is a true gem and a masterpiece of sculptural achievement in Dubrovnik. It was created by Onofrio della Cava in 1438 in cooperation with the Italian sculptor Pietro di Martino. The reliefs depicted on the fountain express the Renaissance worldview, though they still reflect the Gothic mode of construction.
In addition, the “Velika Onofrijeva” fountain is located near the western entrance to the city and has been completely rebuilt by works worth more than a million and a half kuna which lasted nearly nine months.
