Statue No. 382 in Dohalice

The Statue of Perseus in Dohalice is one of the more unusual sculptural landmarks of eastern Bohemia, standing on the bank of the Bystřice stream not far from the former Dohalice fortress. The larger-than-life figure depicts the Greek mythological hero in classical dress: a helmet on his head, a cloak draped over his shoulders, a sword at his side, a spear held in his right hand, and a shield in his left carved in relief with the head of Medusa — the detail that unmistakably identifies him as Perseus, slayer of the gorgon.

Where did the statue come from?

The story of the sculpture is tied to the fate of a nearby chateau in Sadová. The figure originally stood in the chateau's park. After a fire destroyed the building and its ruins were demolished in 1844, the statue was not discarded along with the rest of the estate — it was moved and preserved, eventually finding a permanent home in Dohalice, where it still stands today as a quiet remnant of a park that no longer exists.

Who created the statue?

Despite its artistic quality, the sculptor's identity has never been established. No signature or archival record survives, so the work is classified as the creation of an unknown stonemason or workshop active in the period. That anonymity does not diminish its standing: the Perseus statue is regarded as one of the more accomplished late-classicist sculptures in the region, carved from coarse-grained sandstone, a material typical of outdoor sculpture in Bohemia at the time.

What else is there to see in Dohalice?

Perseus is not the only sculptural landmark in the village. On the village green stands a statue of St. John of Nepomuk from 1832 — a familiar figure in Czech villages, venerated as a protector against floods and slander. At the edge of the village, on the road toward Sadová, a cluster of monuments commemorates the victims of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866: a sandstone pyramid dedicated to 65 fallen Austrian and Prussian soldiers, a monument to Jan Bednář, a gravedigger from Mžany who cared for the wounded, and a general memorial marked by a decorative cross. A few hundred meters south of the village, in the fields, a restored chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes stands beside a spring said to be miraculous — according to local legend it once restored sight to a blind girl, and it reportedly never runs dry, even during severe droughts.

Is Dohalice worth a visit?

Dohalice is a small village in the Hradec Králové District, yet it packs in a surprising density of sculptural and historical points of interest — from a classical mythological statue and baroque devotional figures to war memorials and a site of religious pilgrimage. For travelers exploring the region around the 1866 Battle of Königgrätz (Hradec Králové), a short stop in Dohalice offers a quieter, more intimate counterpoint to the larger battlefield memorials nearby.

Frequently asked questions

What does the statue registered as monument No. 382 in Dohalice depict? It depicts Perseus, the Greek mythological hero, shown in classical attire holding a shield decorated with the head of Medusa.

Where did the statue originally come from? It once stood in the park of a chateau in Sadová and was relocated to Dohalice after the chateau burned down and its ruins were demolished in 1844.

Who made the statue? The sculptor is unknown; the work is attributed to an anonymous craftsman working in the late-classicist style.

What else can be seen nearby? A 1832 statue of St. John of Nepomuk, monuments to the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, and a chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes with a spring.