Kvasnička

In the courtyard of Budyně Castle, in a projecting bay at a chamfered corner directly opposite arriving visitors, stands a sandstone statue about 80 cm high, long known as Kvasnička. It depicts a seated, bearded old man with a kind, intent expression, a pointed cap, a knee-length cloak and medieval boots. Both hands rest before him. They once held the hilt of an ancient sword whose tip touched the ground. In modern times the corroded sword was insensitively replaced with a large hammer. The statue’s eyes gaze intently down towards the earth. Unlike the tradition mentioned above, a legend claims that Jan Zbyněk Zajíc of Házmburk discovered gold through alchemy. He had various statues cast from it, including twelve golden apostles and a hen with twelve golden chicks. He hid these treasures deep in the cellars of his Budyně palace. The Kvasnička statue, once by the gate of the palace’s main wing, now demolished, looked towards the exact cellar location where the lord’s gold was hidden, discreetly marking the way to it. As well as serving as a symbolic guardian of treasure, it embodies an attentive alchemist following the progress of his work with the aid of magical means. The statue closely resembles the depiction of an alchemist on Notre-Dame in Paris.