Gregory Of Nin Statue Varazdin

The statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin in Varaždin is a bronze figure of the medieval bishop who is among the best-loved characters in Croatian history, set up in the old town of this baroque city in the north of Croatia. It is modelled on the famous work by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović that stands in Split, and like its model it has a tradition attached to it: visitors touch the big toe of the statue for good luck, so that the metal there has been rubbed to a golden shine.

While the statue is a modern work, Gregory of Nin was a bishop in the early tenth century, in the days when the Croatian kingdom was young. His seat was Nin, the old royal town on the Adriatic coast, and he is remembered above all for defending the use of the Croatian language in church services. At the time, the church in Dalmatia was under pressure to use only Latin, and a church council in Split in the year 925 tried to forbid the liturgy in the Slavic language that had been brought by the missionaries Cyril and Methodius and written in the Glagolitic script. Gregory opposed the ban, and, according to tradition, he was a champion of the right of his people to hear the Mass in their own tongue. His stand has made him a symbol of Croatian national and cultural identity, and statues of him stand in several Croatian towns.

The original statue in Split, made by Meštrović in the late 1920s, is a monumental bronze about eight and a half metres tall, showing the bishop with his hand raised and a staff or scroll, and it is one of the best-known landmarks of that city. Its toe, the left big toe, has been touched by so many visitors in the hope of fortune that it gleams. The replica in Varaždin carries the same associations, and the bishop looks out over a square in the historic centre, which some maps call the Main Square, Trg Slobode, among Baroque façades, a place where people pause, take photographs and, with a smile, touch the toe.

For visitors, the statue is a focal point for walkers in Varaždin. The old town is compact and made for strolling, with cobbled streets, picturesque squares and alleys, the Town Hall, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Stari Grad Castle with its museum, all within a short walk. The Church of St. Ignatius, a Jesuit church in the Baroque style, and other churches add interest, and cafés offer places to sit. The area around the statue can be busy, especially in peak season and during the Baroque Evenings festival in autumn, when the city fills with music.

The statue is in the open air and can be seen at any time, free of charge. It suits anyone interested in Croatian history and language, photographers and those who like a little ritual in their sightseeing. A visit takes only a few minutes, but it makes a good starting point for exploring the historic centre of Varaždin.