Street of the Fine lamp

Shyonlaterngasse (Schonlaterngasse), Douglas Sprott photo

Shyonlaterngasse’s (Schonlaterngasse) title – the lane of the Fine lamp – sounds romantically. The small medieval small street located nearby to Shtefansplats, consider as one of signs of old Vienna – it even represent on the Austrian stamps.

We have beheld a known metal lamp on a house No. 6 wall. The house facade is decorated at present by a copy of the rare lighting device, and itself «a beautiful lamp» is stored in a museum.

In appearance it is ordinary, though completely beautiful, a streetlight fixed on an openwork shod arm. I think that similar lighting devices was in due time much on the European streets. But this has become famous specifically – can be, thanks to an ancient city legend.

Legend about the Basilisk Street of the Fine lamp

House of the Basilisk (Basilikenhaus), Douglas Sprott photo

There was in old Vienna a legend about the Basilisk. In the XIII century the fantastic monster lived in a well on this street and directed horror at her inhabitants: all knew that the look of a basilisk is capable to re-embody the person in a stone. There was a hero who has outwitted a monster, having shown it a mirror. The basilisk has seen itself and has hardened. Now its motionless stone figure is established on a facade of a structure No. 7 which call the House of the Basilisk (Basilikenhaus). Posizhivayet it just under light of the Fine lamp.

Street of the Fine lamp

«Beautiful lamp», named the lane, Josef Lex photo

The statue of a monster is placed in a wall niche. Under it – the image of the sly fellow baker with a round mirror in hands, and is even lower – the text of an ancient legend. Basilisk, in my opinion, small and not so awful, and quicker the ridiculous.

The very narrow bent street of the Fine lamp connects Zonnenfelgasse and Postgasse.
On Shyonlaterngasse there are baroque houses, restaurants and antiquarian shops. To pleasure of tourists, shops work here until late at night.

Street of the Fine lamp