A cast-iron fountain and four dragons spewing water
On the square in front of the castle stands a cast-iron fountain, which was made in the 1960s in Auersperg’s foundry in Dvor. In the middle of the octagonal cast-iron basin rises a profiled massive column topped by a shallow bowl. From the bottom of the bowl, there are four spouts, which at the end are shaped like dragon heads.
Until the 20th century, the source of water in the village of Žužemberk was roofwater, and in case of shortages, water was drawn directly from the Krka river, where access roads were arranged in certain places for the loading of water. A water-powered mechanical pump was later installed under the castle, which pumped water from the Krka river to both banks with the help of a mill wheel. On the left bank of the river, water was collected in a well on the “Grajski trg” square, from which it then flowed into a trough in Breg. On the right bank, the trough of the settlement of Nad Miklavžem was filled. Troughs were used for watering livestock, washing clothes and probably also for collecting water for households. Excess water flowed from the troughs through a shaft back into the Krka river.
The Auersperg’s iron foundry in Dvor also made a similar cast-iron fountain, which once stood on the main square in Novo mesto, and the so-called Valvazor fountain in the town of Višnja Gora, which was recently restored and is still on display today.
For some unknown reason, the residents of Novo mesto sold their fountain somewhere in Austria. They later changed their mind and wanted to buy it back, but in the meantime it was melted down and some other cast-iron monument was made from it, which shows its charms of iron from our region, probably somewhere in Vienna.
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