“If you rub his nose it’s good luck and it’s a sign that you’ll come back to Dubrovnik in the future,” is apparently the reason why thousands upon thousands of tourists grab this famous Dubrovnik playwright by the nose, well his statue, every year.
The statute of Marin Držić, famous for writing tragic comedies and often called Dubrovnik’s Shakespeare, used to be location in the Babin Kuk suburb of Dubrovnik but was replaced outside of the theatre bearing his name some years ago. And since his arrival in the heart of the Old City the “legend” or “myth” that rubbing his nose brings luck has been born. “I have never heard of this before, look at his nose it has turned yellow,” commented one local restaurant owner. Yes, this new myth seems to have arisen from nowhere.
And not only is his nose being rubbed but also tourists often jump in his lap for a selfie. We can find no evidence of where this legend actually appeared from, but any reason for tourists believing that they will visit Dubrovnik again can’t be a bad thing. Just don’t rub his nose too hard.