Hercules, a Hydra and the City Eagle

A few steps away, Baroque Olomouc starts behaving like ancient mythology has taken over the municipal branding department. Hercules stands over a hydra while holding the city’s chequered eagle. This is not random mythological decoration: the fountain turns a classical strongman into a protector of Olomouc itself. Look closely and the message is surprisingly legible even without knowing the sculptor’s programme — local emblem in one hand, defeated monster below. The city’s fountains repeatedly use antique gods and heroes to talk about contemporary civic virtues. That makes this one a useful decoding key for everything that follows. Once you see myth being recruited for local identity, Caesar, Neptune and Jupiter stop looking like a bizarre accidental collection.