Fountain in the park of the Šmarješke Toplice Thermal Spa
Keywords:
art casting, Šmarješke Toplice, Novo mesto, Logatec, Vrhnika, Črnomelj, Uherské Hradiště, Myślenice, Royal Salm Ironworks in Blansko, decorative fountains, dr. Viktor Gregorić, Jan Vladimír HráskýAbstract
In Europe as well as the territory of present-day Slovenia, the second half of the nineteenth century was a time of systematic construction of water systems, where cast iron played a crucial role. Logatec, Črnomelj, Vrhnika, and Šmarješke Toplice are each home to one cast iron fountain from the Royal Salm Ironworks in Blansko, Moravia, that were sent by the constructors of the water systems as a token of gratitude for the commissioned work. The fountain that now stands in the park of the Šmarješke Toplice Thermal Spa was originally set up in Novo Mesto’s Florijan Square (modern central market) at the end of April 1904, after the completion of the city water system in the autumn of 1903. The fountain immediately became a popular gathering point, as well as a subject of public furore for featuring a sculpture of a nude nymph. In 1926, it was transferred to Šmarješke Toplice and now stands in the park of the Šmarješke Toplice Thermal Spa, serving as its symbol.
