Zsolnay Fountain - Pecs, Hungary by FriedwaldLtd

Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago

On the south side of the main square of Pécs, Széchenyi Square we can see the 4 metre high pyrogranite well called Zsolnay Well. Formerly the “Drip of Khadi” from the Turkish times was in its stead, operating until 1893. The birth of the well goes back to the offer of Miklós Zsolnay in 1908, who offered to donate Pécs a fountain to commemorate his late father, Vilmos Zsolnay. The Art Nouveau style well was designed by Andor Pilch in 1909. The piece of art made of special greyish glazed pyrogranite was finally completed in 1912, but it was only erected in its present place in 1930. The uniqueness of the well is given by the ox head drips with eosin glaze, made to imitate one of the drinking cups with animal head from the gold artefacts found in Nagyszentmiklós. The refreshing, drinkable water constantly leaks from the 4 ox heads (except for winter when the whole well is covered, in order to protect the monument). On the north and south side of the well we can see the coat of arms of the city, on the east and west the five-tower emblem of the Zsolnay Factory. The shape of the well resembles a clover from top-view, and an epigraph on its brim keeps the spirit of Vilmos Zsolnay: The memorial well of Vilmos Zsolnay/Shall be the eternal eyewitness/Of the flourishing of Pécs/The well-being of its citizens.