You can find them in various countries, and they attract millions of people every year. These statues are must-see stops for tourists who will do anything to touch them. Some are associated with rituals and good luck. How many have you touched?
Whether for money, protection, or even love, there are many reasons why people travel miles to touch these statues. They’re scattered around the world and are associated with various rituals. Legends and stories say they bring good luck and more—which is why many people won’t leave without touching them.
In some cases, people touch very specific spots so that their wishes come true in the best possible way. The wear and tear on certain parts of these statues is evident from the discoloration.
The page “Vagas Pelo Mundo” shared some of the most-touched statues around the world. Learn about the rituals and what you might gain if you do the same. How many have you touched?
Molly Malone
The statue of Molly Malone is one of the most famous landmarks in Dublin, Ireland. Sculpted in bronze by artist Jeanne Rynhart in 1988, it depicts a 17th-century fishmonger pushing a handcart. It was installed to celebrate the city’s millennium and pays homage to the central character of the folk song “Cockles and Mussels,” considered the unofficial anthem of the Irish capital.
One of the most striking features of the sculpture is its visual appearance. Due to the popular belief that touching the statue brings good luck, thousands of tourists constantly rub the monument. This excessive contact, especially in the area of the breasts, has worn away the bronze’s original dark patina, leaving those parts with a shiny, golden color.
Juliet
The famous bronze statue of Juliet stands in the courtyard of Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta) in Verona, Italy. Sculpted by Nereo Costantini in 1969, it is known worldwide for the tradition in which visitors touch the statue’s right breast as a ritual to attract good luck in love.
John Harvard
The Statue of John Harvard is a famous bronze monument located at Harvard University in Cambridge. Created in 1884 by Daniel Chester French, it is known worldwide as the “Statue of the Three Lies” due to its historical inaccuracies:
- It is not John Harvard: Since there were no portraits of him, the sculptor used a student named Sherman Hoar as a model.
- He wasn’t the founder: John Harvard was the institution’s first major benefactor, donating half his fortune and his library. The actual founder was the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- The date is incorrect: The inscription reads 1638, but the university was actually founded in 1636. Despite these inaccuracies, the sculpture is one of the most visited and photographed attractions on campus. A popular tradition among students and tourists is to rub the statue’s left foot for good luck.
The statue’s left foot is much shinier than the rest of the figure. Students and tourists maintain the tradition of touching it to bring success in their studies.
Wild Boar
The wild boar statue in Munich is known as the Sitzender Keiler (Seated Boar). It is a bronze sculpture created in 1976 by artist Martin Mayer, located on the pedestrian street Neuhauser Strasse, right in front of the German Hunting and Fishing Museum (Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum).
Locals and tourists constantly rub this animal figure’s snout. The practice is linked to the hope of receiving protection and good omens.
Josef Kajetán Tyl
The statue of the famous Czech playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl (author of the lyrics to the national anthem) is located in the city of Pilsen (Plzeň). An interesting feature of the sculpture is that one of its toes has a lighter shade due to countless touches from visitors, who believe in the tradition that touching that spot brings good luck and helps make wishes come true.
Everard t’Serclaes
The statue of Everard t’Serclaes is one of Brussels’ most famous and visited monuments, located just off the iconic Grand-Place on Rue Charles Buls. Created by sculptor Julien Dillens in 1898, the work honors a 14th-century local hero who liberated the city from the Flemish.
The sculpture depicts Everard t’Serclaes on his deathbed. However, the monument has become world-famous because of a widely held folk legend: touching or rubbing the statue’s arm brings good luck or guarantees a return to Brussels.
Abraham Lincoln
The bronze bust, originally created in 1908 by Gutzon Borglum, was conceived as a solemn and melancholic portrayal of Abraham Lincoln; however, the spontaneous creation of the good-luck myth transformed the funerary sculpture into an interactive monument. This continuous rubbing by visitors has removed the original dark patina and permanently altered the work’s appearance, officially integrating popular folklore into the tomb’s identity and historical heritage.
Victor Noir
The bronze statue of Victor Noir stands in the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Sculpted by Jules Dalou, it depicts the journalist lying on the ground after being shot in 1870. It has become a famous talisman of fertility and love due to a prominent bulge in his pants, which attracts thousands of visitors. It is believed that the ritual brings good luck, fertility, and a happy sex life.
São Pedro
The bronze statue of Saint Peter is one of the most iconic sculptures in St. Peter’s Basilica, located on the right side of the central nave, near Bernini’s famous baldachin. Attributed primarily to the medieval sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio in the 13th century, this work depicts the apostle seated on his throne, holding the Keys to Heaven in his left hand and raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing.
The apostle’s right foot is worn down from centuries of devotion. Pilgrims and tourists touch or kiss the foot as an expression of faith, gratitude, and a request for spiritual protection.
Il Porcellino
The French replica of the famous Il Porcellino statue is located on Place Richelme in Aix-en-Provence. Although the original monument—a bronze wild boar sculpted by Pietro Tacca in 1634—is one of the greatest symbols of Florence, Italy, the replica on French soil also attracts many visitors and preserves the same mystical tradition.
Just as in Italy, locals and tourists passing through the square’s daily market often rub the boar’s snout to attract good luck. That is why its snout has a golden, polished sheen, contrasting with the dark bronze of its body. In addition to the famous fountain in Aix-en-Provence, the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris also houses a reproduction of the work.
Charging Bull
The Charging Bull statue (also known as the Wall Street Bull) is a famous bronze sculpture located in Bowling Green, in Manhattan’s Financial District, in New York City.
Weighing approximately 3.2 to 3.5 metric tons, standing 3.4 meters tall, and measuring nearly five meters in length, it was created by Italian artist Arturo Di Modica and secretly installed in December 1989 in front of the New York Stock Exchange as an act of guerrilla art following the 1987 financial crisis.
Tourists from all over the world line up at the site to touch the bull’s horns, snout, and testicles—a popular superstition that is said to bring good luck and money.
Hachiko
The world’s most famous statue of Hachiko is located in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan, serving as the city’s most popular meeting spot and an enduring symbol of animal loyalty. The monument honors the Akita dog who waited daily for the return of his late owner, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno, at the same spot for nearly ten years.
Visitors often touch the faithful dog’s head and snout. This gesture is a way of paying tribute to his story and also a symbolic request for loyalty, protection, and good luck.
Amy Winehouse
The statue of Amy Winehouse is a life-size bronze monument located at Stables Market in Camden Town, in north London. Unveiled on September 14, 2014—the date on which the singer would have turned 31—the sculpture celebrates the artist’s legacy in the neighborhood where she lived, worked, and passed away.
The sculpture of the singer has areas of her hair, arms, and hands that are more polished due to constant contact from fans. Touching the statue serves as a form of tribute and an emotional connection to the artist.
