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CAVE WITH SCULPTURE OF JUAN GARINUS THE HERMIT

The story of the repentant Juan Garinus results from a complicated evolution of ancient legends about half-animal hermits who allowed the Devil to tempt them into fornication and, subsequently, murder. Their Christian versions appeared during the early period of the Eastern church, in late Middle Ages in Western Europe. The result of this development was the legend of Juan Garinus, the foundation legend of the Benedictine abbey at Monserrat, Catalonia, which became widely known at the beginning of the 16th century. After a terrible deed instigated by the Devil, the repentant Juan Garinus (who, until that point, had lived the virtuous life of a hermit on the mount of Monserrat) set himself a cruel penance: He would never be able to look up to the heavens again. Like a beast he would have to crawl on the ground, without any clothes, until the Lord sent him a signal that he was forgiven. After many years, he was found in his cave by hounds belonging to the father of the maiden he had murdered. He was finally granted forgiveness. The Nový les sculpture captures the moment when Juan Garinus is crawling out of the cave, pursued by the hounds.

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