Museums of literary heroes in Europe

Perhaps the most unusual and interesting type of museum is museumDedicated to literary heroes. Some of them are so firmly established in our culture that they are perceived as living people, and some of them even actively correspond with fans, for example, Shakespeare’s Juliet.

The great English playwright did not come up with a plot about Romeo and Juliet - he took and processed a popular legend, which in various versions was known throughout Europe, but was especially loved in Verona. It was in Verona that two warring families lived, which served as prototypes of Montague and Capulet, and it was in Verona since the XVI century that the people revered the stone sarcophagus, about which the Veronians were firmly convinced that it was the tomb of Juliet.

"House of Juliet" - an ancient mansion of the XIV century - is now turned into a museum of Shakespearean heroes. The interior of a rich Italian house of this time is reproduced there, and couples in love come to kiss at the “Juliet Balcony”. Juliet herself, with the help of a whole staff of secretaries, conducts active correspondence around the world: lovers often write to her, complain about her misfortunes and ask for advice, she answers everyone, and the authors of the most heartfelt letters receive prizes.

In Spain, the most famous literary hero is, of course, Alonso Kejano, the knight of the Sad Image. Recently, his museum was opened in the province of La Mancha. In the novel Cervantes nowhere mentioned in which city was born Don Quixote, but literary critics believe it is Ciudad Real. There is a huge old mansion, in the basement of which there is an ancient printing house, and two floors are occupied by collections of paintings, book illustrations, figurines and other works on the themes of the famous novel by Cervantes.

And in Spain, a multi-kilometer tourist route was laid, which is called the “Don Quixote Path”: it was on these roads that the famous knight wandered, and in almost the same taverns he stayed.

Residents of Flanders (a region of modern Belgium) still remember another hero - Thiel Ulenspiegel. Thiel was simply the hero of cheerful folk tales ridiculing oppressors, hypocritical priests and unrighteous judges, until the writer Charles de Coster wrote his novel about him, which received worldwide recognition. Now in the city of Damme, in the homeland of Thiel, a museum named after him is opened. The visitor meets the mirror on which the owl sits (the word “ulenspiegel” is just translated as “mirror and owl”), and everything in this mirror is reflected in an inverted form. The exposition tells about Thiel himself, and about Charles de Coster, and the history of writing his novel.

In Stockholm, on the roofs of which once walked the Kid and Carlson, opened the Museum of heroes Astrid Lindgren. Unibakken (as the farm is called from one of her books) occupies an entire island. A magical train passes through the island, getting into one or another fairy tale.

In Finland, near the resort of Naantali, there is also a whole fabulous island - it is dedicated to Moomin trolls. The entire Moomin-Doll is exactly reproduced on the island, the fairy tale here becomes completely real.

And the most famous literary museum in Europe is, of course, the apartment at 221b, Baker Street - the home of the most famous detective of all time - Sherlock Holmes. The address given by Conan Doyle never existed, but now there is a sign on the house with him. This is an old house built in the early XIX century - it accurately reproduces the interiors of the Victorian era, you can see the pipe and violin of Holmes himself and, of course, buy souvenirs - the store is occupied by the entire first floor of the house.