Page 40 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL
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GARGOYLE RITUAL
Like many other cities, Dubrovnik has its up and stay on the mascaron while remov‐
own quirky superstitions and rituals for good ing their shirts and putting them back on.
luck, happiness, or romance. In this city, it's It's said that a few have succeeded. We
the Gargoyle Ritual. As you approach the watched one determined young man
stairway leading up to the city's famous struggle to stay upright on the stone, let
walls, it's not uncommon to see a tourist pre‐ alone disrobe while balancing precari‐
cariously balancing on a small, stone protru‐ ously.
sion from the limestone wall. Shaped like an The origins of this ritual remain
owl with a mustache and once part of the shrouded in mystery,like many urban tra‐
ancient water system, the protrusion marked ditions. Legend has it that it began with a
the end of a pipe that drained rainwater young man searching for love, vowing that
from the buildings. he would only find it once he successfully
The owl spout, known as a mascaron, pro‐ climbed on the owl, removed his shirt, and
trudes barely five inches and stands about a put it back on. He persisted for a long
foot above the ground. Years of wear have time, and when he finally achieved his
sloped its top downward, giving it a polished, goal, he found love. From the grease
marble-like slippery surface. The wall above marks on the wall and the sheen on the
it has become greasy from the touch of stone, it's clear that many have ventured
countless hands as luck seekers try to jump up in search of romantic good fortune.
40 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER/SPRING 2024
