Maiden with the Seagull — Attraction in Grad Opatija

THE MAIDEN WITH THE SEAGULL

The statue of Maiden with the seagull is a symbol, not only of Opatija, but the entire Kvarner region. Elegantly standing on the reef beside Lungomare promenade in Opatija, it intrigues all passengers with her interesting story and identity which was unknown for decades.

HOW THE STORY BEGUN?

The story begins in distant 1891. when count Arthur Kesselstadt tragically lost his life in a spring storm in the sea in front of Opatija. Devastated with grief, count´s family put the statue of “Madonna Del Mare” on the reef to wake for her lost soul. Because of harsh weather conditions the sculpture was damaged and later restored. Its gilded replica can now be seen in St James´s Church above the Riviera, while the original is kept in the Croatian Museum of Tourism in the Villa Angiolina.

THE NEW STATUE ARRIVES

As the place where the “Madonnina” once stood was left empty, it was decided to put another statue in its place. The “Maiden with the Seagull” was put up in 1956. The beautiful view of the sea extends in front of the statue. The scenery is especially impressive by night, when the Maiden is lighted with special reflectors or during the stormy weather when waves splash and water scatters over the reef giving the appearance of a nymph rising from the spray. That is the reason why one of the nicknames locals gave to the Maiden is the “Nymph”.

WHO IS THE GIRL?

You might be wondering who the Maiden with the Seagull really is. For 55 years no one had the answer to this question, until Mrs. Jelena Jendrašić from Crikvenica revealed that it was her who served as the model for the statue. The author of the statue, sculptor Zvonko Car, did not want to reveal the identity of the “Maiden with the Seagull”, saying: “Those who want to know should make a guess”!

It took more than a year for the sculpture to be finished and during that time Mrs. Jelena would pose for hours… It is interesting to know that Mrs. Jelena and Mr. Zvonko were neighbors in Crikvenica. The artist would call her “My Opatija lady”, just like he used to affectionately...

The story of the Maiden with the Seagullactually begins in 1891, during Opatija’s tourist boom, when the unfortunate count Arthur Kesselstadt and his wife, countess Fries, fell victim to a raging storm not far from the rocks where the maiden now stands.

The count’s family, overcome with grief, installed a sculpture of the Madonna on the rocks to honor their son’s memory. Over the years, however, the statue itself also suffered from harsh conditions at sea, and after extensive damage, it was removed, restored, and now stands in the Croatian Museum of Tourism in historic Villa Angiolina.

In 1956, another maiden took the Madonna’s place – this time a statue by Croatian sculptor Zvonko Car. This young girl, clad in a light shift, her palm outstretched to a fluttering seagull, embodies life on the Adriatic – light, breezy, carefree, with a hint of elegance.

For years, no one knew the identity of the girl. Recently Jelena Jendrasic, Car’s neighbor in Crikvenica, finally revealed that it was she who served as a model...

The “Maiden with the Seagull” statue in Opatija is a bronze sculpture created in 1956 by sculptor Zvonko Car, depicting a young girl with an outstretched arm holding a seagull. The statue was placed in place of a previous monument dedicated to Count Arthur Kesselstadt and his wife, who drowned at sea, and it symbolizes Opatija’s connection to the sea, loss, loyalty, and hopeful waiting. Commonly referred to as the “Opatija nymph,” the model for the statue remained a mystery for a long time, but was later revealed to be Car’s neighbor, Jelena Jendrašić.

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