News Feature

Ancient Greek statue could tempt tourists to Krk Island

13 October 2009

Tourism on Krk Island, Croatia, could receive a boost after the discovery of a 2,000-year-old statue, reports the Croatian Times.

A figure of Priapos, a fertility god and protector of livestock and nature in ancient Greece, was found by two fishermen off the island's southern coast.

Ivan Barbalic Gunga and Izidor Cubranic, who found the statue, said: "We do not want to keep it just for ourselves or to earn money from it. We want our little Priapos to become a real tourist attraction on Krk Island."

Mr Gunga and Mr Cubranic took the 20 cm sculpture to the Croatian Conservation Institute in Zadar where it was cleaned and valued.

The bust, which is in the shape of a lamp, is thought to have been previously used as a symbol of luck for men who were told if they touched it their fertility would improve.

According to its website, Krk Island is one of the biggest islands in the Adriatic Sea with an area of 409 sq km.

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