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The indecent little man at St James church.
Point 5 of 70 of 7 completed
The tiny backside aimed at Petrov
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49.1966, 16.6084
On arrival
Move to the southern side of St James church and look high above the end of the Gothic arch/window area.
Look closer
Search for the very small carved human figure with an exposed backside; it is easy to miss from pavement level.
The sculpture is visible evidence. The revenge story is the city's traditional explanation for it.
St James gives you one of the cleanest fact-versus-story examples in Brno. The visible fact is wonderfully specific: high on the southern side of the church there is a small stone figure exposing its bare backside. The City of Brno then supplies the explanation with an important verbal signal: 'it is told' that rivalry between the builders of St James and Petrov ended with a master stonemason being forced to leave, so he finished one last detail as revenge and pointed the insult towards Petrov. That is a great legend. It is not the same thing as a documented building contract or court record. Spot the figure first; only then decide how much explanatory drama you want to believe.
Accessibility at this stop
The figure is viewed from exterior public space but is high above eye level. Good distance vision or phone zoom may help.
These notes describe known conditions at this stop. Urban conditions can change, so assess the situation on site.
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5. The tiny backside aimed at Petrov
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6. A cannonball that exists because a legend does
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