The story of the Zadar Sphinx is very romantic and very unusual. In one of the most prestigious parts of Zadar, where there are beautiful villas of old Italian owners with beautiful gardens and ponds, you will find the Sphinx. In front of the Villa Attilia, built in 1901, it was the home of a local artist, Giovanni Simrich, and the wife of Attilia Spinede de Catneis, a Venetian woman who moved to Zadar out of love. The couple adored nature, so they built a beautiful garden with a small lake inhabited by goldfish and a cave. After Attila dies, he has Giovanni build a Sphinx in her memory. It is built of concrete and, unlike other Sphinxes, it is special in that instead of a paw it has toes, in which it holds a goldfish, which it seems to protect. There is also a relief of an eagle on the chest and an Egyptian hieroglyph that has never been deciphered. The Sphinx has been devastated several times throughout history, but today it has been restored and stands proudly in Zadar, hiding the secret of one love and an interesting legend about the treasure buried beneath it.

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№40 of 54 places in Zadar
№1776 of 2178 places in Croatia
№3 of 3 Monuments in Zadar
№43 of 55 Monuments in Croatia

Guides in this place

• The 16 Best Things to Do in Zadar
• 27 Unique Places and Attractions That You Must Visit and Try in Croatia
• Guide for a Three-Day Trip to Zadar