House of Stone Maiden

Once upon a time in Brno, Czechia, there lived a poor maiden named Johanka who fell in love with a local nobleman. Their relationship was disapproved of by his mother, who accused the girl of witchcraft. Heartbroken, Johanka jumped into a well.

The nobleman, on the other hand, was away hunting with his father when the girl died, and his heart too broke upon his return home. In memorial of his lost love, he had a statue of her made and installed in a house that would be known as Dům u Kamenné panny, or the “House of Stone Maiden.”

Today, the house as well as the statue and the storied well remain in Brno. On the façade, the legend is retold in several languages including English and Japanese; the translations may be a little stiff, but you’ll get the gist of the story.