Monuments of Písek
The most famous monument in Písek is the 'Lion', a fine-grained sandstone sculpture erected in 1861 on the site of a former castle moat. The *Lion* commemorates the tragic battles of 1859, in which 871 soldiers from the Písek Military Garrison fell at Melegnano and Solferino in northern Italy.
In Palackého Gardens, visitors can find monuments dedicated to historian and politician František Palacký and poet Adolf Heyduk.
Another monument, honoring Czechoslovak legionaries, stands on Mírové Square.
Several additional monuments were erected after 1989. These include a memorial at the end of Palackého Gardens honoring regional pilots who served in the Royal British Air Force and a monument at the New Bridge dedicated to the victims of World War II. A memorial to the American Army, which liberated Písek in May 1945, stands near the intersection of Pražská Třída and Národní Svobody streets. Near the Stud Farm, a monument commemorating the meeting of the Allied armies was unveiled on the 70th anniversary of the war’s end.
A modern monument dedicated to political prisoners and to Jan Hus can be found in the park on Husovo Square.
