Imagine a king returning from a hunt. This scene unfolds before you at Matthias Fountain. It is not just a fountain. It is a story frozen in bronze and stone.
Matthias Fountain stands in the Buda Castle. It shows King Matthias Corvinus. He is leading a royal hunting party. The fountain tells a sad love story. It speaks of the human heart’s search for happiness.
King Matthias often disguised himself. He wanted to see the real happenings in his kingdom. Once he met a peasant girl. Her name was Beautiful Little Helen or Szep Ilonka in Hungarian. They fell in love at first sight. But she learned he was the king. She knew their love could not lead to marriage. So she died of a broken heart.
Look closely at the Díszkút Fountain. You will see many details. On the right side is Szep Ilonka. She is gently touching a young deer. She watches the hunters in awe. King Matthias stands at the top. He holds his bow and arrow. He stands by the spring where he shot the stag. He looks over his kingdom in victory.
His three dogs drink the fresh spring water. His huntsmen are alert. One is ready to blow his horn. On the left sits the royal historian. He is Galeotto Marzio. He calmly writes the story of King Matthias. The sculptor also pays tribute to the king.
Alajos Strobl and Alajos Hauszmann created this Neo-Baroque fountain. It was designed in 1904. It stands against the Buda Castle wall. The fountain shows the tastes of the 1900s. It also shows Hungarian noblemen. They longed for their own kingdom in the Habsburg Empire. Buda Castle was the home of Austrian Habsburg kings.
The fountain shows King Matthias hunting. He holds a crossbow. He stands near a dead deer. Three Hungarian vizsla dogs are at his feet. His gamekeeper and shield bearer hold hunting horns.
Galeotto Marzio sits to the left. He was King Matthias’ Italian court historian. King Matthias loved history, culture, architecture and diversity. Galeotto Marzio first wrote the story of Beautiful Helen. Mihaly Vorosmarty later made it a famous poem. The historian holds a falcon. Szep Ilonka feeds a young deer on the other side of the Matthias Fountain.
Alajos Strobl wanted this statue in Buda Castle. He got little pay for it. He lowered his needs to make sure it was built. Strobl convinced Alajos Hauszmann to help.
The Matthias Fountain survived World War II. Only the middle dog was destroyed. It was rebuilt later. The fountain was restored in 2010.
The layout is similar to the Trevi Fountain in Rome. People say if you throw coins in Matthias Fountain you will return to Budapest.