No one knows exactly how luck works. However, it is reliably known that fate can meet you in any corner of the world. We have chosen for you 10 monuments that are worth touching for everyone who believes in good omens.
Photo: static.messynessychic.com
1. Victor Noir’s grave, France
In the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris lies Victor Noir, a French journalist killed in a duel at the end of the 19th century. The life-size bronze sculpture depicts the journalist at the moment of death. It is still unknown what the sculptor had in mind, but the bronze monument clearly shows a bulge in the fly area. According to legend, the deceased suddenly got an erection in the morgue. One way or another, the monument has become an object of pilgrimage: Parisians believe that if they rub the bronze journalist in the area of the bulge and then kiss him on the forehead, a woman will forever get rid of any problems in the intimate sphere.
More on the topic: Paris. Where to start getting to know the city
2. Bronze Dancers, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas
The most photographed monument in Las Vegas is a bronze sculpture of dancers with their butts turned to the world. The dancers stand next to the Riviera Hotel and almost every hotel guest has a photo next to the show girls. It is believed that if you rub the protruding parts of any of the iron girls, the player will definitely have luck in the casino. Over the years, gambling enthusiasts have polished the bronze butts of the dancers to a shine. How many of them managed to win at the casino after this is not reported.
See also: Natural beauty of the USA
3. Bull of Turin, Italy
To see one of Milan’s most famous landmarks, you need to look at your feet. In the Gallery of Victor Emmanuel II, one of the first shopping centers in the world, the floors of some passages are covered with mosaics. The floor of the central hall of the gallery is decorated with the royal coat of arms, and the adjacent corridors are decorated with the coats of arms of Italian cities. The coat of arms of Turin with the image of a bull stands out especially. According to legend, if you step on the underbelly of a bull with your heel and turn it clockwise three times, it will bring good luck. Because of this belief, the mosaic on the bull’s causative site has long been erased and a rather large depression has formed. However, the administration of the shopping center does not prevent tourists from trying to get lucky.
Take a look at this: Milan. City of beautiful people
Photo: BRIAN ZINNEL
4. Stone of Eloquence, Ireland
Usually, in order to get something valuable, the hero of a fairy tale has to kiss sleeping beauties, at worst frogs, and almost never an inanimate object. According to Irish belief, the hero who kisses the stone will gain eloquence.
The most unhygienic European landmark – the Stone of Eloquence – is located in the wall of Blarney Castle in County Cork. According to legend, the Stone of Eloquence was broken off from the Stone of Scone, on which the kings of Scotland were crowned in ancient times. To earn oratorical talent, it is not enough to simply touch a stone with your lips: you need to kiss the stone while lying on your back, holding onto the parapet railings. Considering that the kisser is at a height of 20 meters, the Stone of Eloquence can be called one of the most dangerous tourist attractions in Ireland.
Don’t miss: 5 cities with the most hospitable residents
5. Senso-ji Buddhist Temple, Japan
The oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo heals not only the soul, but also the body. That’s what Japanese guides tell tourists, anyway. According to an ancient legend, if you rub incense from the temple on a sore spot, the pain will go away. In order for the remedy to work for sure, you need to inform the gods about your intention – by clapping your hands twice.
Take a look at this:
The most beautiful castles in Japan
10 Amazing Buildings in Asia
Photo: spangdahlem.af.mil
6. Chandelier in Cochem Castle, Germany
Tourists who visit the castle in the German city of Cochem first go up to the room above the fortress gates. You can admire all the other beauties of the former imperial fortress later, but now – urgently tickle the belly of a mermaid with deer antlers! The mermaid hangs from the ceiling and works as a chandelier. In the Middle Ages, her figure protected the children of the castle owners from evil spirits. The kings no longer live here, today the castle is a museum, so the mermaid can only bring good luck to travelers who managed to reach her belly.
7. Sun Stone Intihuatana, Peru
The abandoned city of Machu Picchu in Peru is sometimes called the “city in the sky.” The city is located at an altitude of almost two and a half kilometers above sea level, the temples of Machu Picchu climb above the clouds. Apparently, the Incas built Machu Picchu at such a height to be closer to the Sun. And to “tie” him to a stone pillar.
Intihuatana – a stone to which the Indians symbolically “tied” the sun so that it would not run away from them during the winter solstice, stands on a triangular platform and is shaped like a fist, with a finger raised up. Most likely, during the times of the Incas, Intihuatana served as a sundial. Local residents tell tourists that if you rub against a stone, you can see the inhabitants of other worlds.
You may be interested in:
Amazing clay city of Chan-Chan
10 Best Picnic Spots on Earth
Photo: valariebudayr.typepad.com
8. Manhole covers in Sweden
In any Swedish city, monuments that bring good luck are scattered along the streets and footpaths. Typically, manhole covers here are marked either with the letter “k” (in Swedish kallvatten – clean water),
or “a” (avlopp – waste water). However, romantic Swedes interpret these letters differently. “K” means kärlek – love, “a” means avbruten – broken love. Therefore, superstitious Swedish passers-by carefully look at their feet while walking and either try to step on the hatch with the letter “k”, or avoid the hatch with the letter “a”. Well, looking at the Swedes, tourists also started playing these games a long time ago.
Photo: startribune.com
9. Lincoln’s Tomb, USA
In America, a large number of monuments, statues and memorials have been built in honor of the president-liberator, his portraits are hung in coffee shops, films and cartoons are made about him. The Lincoln Tomb Monument in Springfield is one of the most striking landmarks in the entire state of Illinois. It is believed that if you rub the nose of the sixteenth President of the United States, you will definitely get lucky.
10. Florentine boar, Italy
In the center of Florence, on the old market square, lives the Boar – a bronze fountain that is already 400 years old. It’s easy to find. As Hans Christian Andersen wrote in his fairy tale “The Bronze Boar”: “Any visitor can easily find this place; just ask any beggar about the bronze boar, and he will show the way.” According to tradition, you need to make a wish and put a coin in the mouth of the bronze pig. Having fallen out of his mouth, the coin should fall into the grate under his hooves. If you fall through the crack, your wish will definitely come true.
Take a look at this:
In search of the sweet life: Portofino and San Fruttuoso
Cinque Terre: five lands of the Italian Riviera
Author: Marat Abdrakhmanov
A convenient website for finding hotels is OneTwoTrip.
