The town of Banská Štiavnica has been associated with mining, mines, and numerous rich deposits of precious metals since ancient times. Nobody truly remembered when exactly it all began, but even young children spoke of the little lizards that bestowed wealth and enduring fame upon Banská Štiavnica, gesturing towards the city's coat of arms where two lizards, one golden and the other silver, gleamed in the sunlight. "It's said that it was a shepherd who first spotted them up on the hillside, shining brighter than the sun in the sky," mothers have recounted to their children at bedtime, passing down the Legend of the Banská Štiavnica lizards through the ages.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
The event that completely changed the life of the region below Sitno is said to have occurred a long time ago, when this area was mostly blanketed by dense forests, with small meadows concealed among them, and only sporadic wisps of smoke from forgotten settlements rose into the sky.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
The tranquility of the untouched landscape prevailed all around. Shepherd Ján lived right in the heart of it. One day, he led the herd out to pasture once more. Along the way, he retrieved a whistle from his pocket and began to play with his nimble fingers.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
And when he was already high on the hillside and far from his native settlement, he stopped to gaze at the enchanting landscape. He relished the pleasantness of the sunny day, and his playing even drew the attention of the small inhabitants of the forest. He sat on a rock and looked at the animals.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
Suddenly, what he couldn't see became apparent: there were lizards basking in the sun on a large rock in the distance. He had never witnessed such a remarkable sight before. Two of them gleamed with a peculiar light, as if they were crafted from silver or gold.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
Ján is surprised and desires a closer look at them, but they hush and hide under a rock. Though the boulder was sizable, the shepherd's curiosity refused to be stilled. After much effort, he finally rolled it away. He scarcely comprehended the extent of his feat because what lay beneath the rock altered the history of the region. A lump of gold, as colossal as a hat, lay concealed beneath the boulder. Pinching his cheek and kicking his ankle to confirm he wasn't dreaming, the shepherd couldn't believe his eyes. "Surely not," he thinks to himself, "the lizards must have transformed themselves into gold." A joyous spirit fills the shepherd, and he eagerly anticipates sharing his tale with all who would listen. The news of his discovery spreads like wildfire, drawing people from all directions. They begin to excavate the earth, dig shafts, and soon entire mines and settlements spring up in the vicinity.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
They constructed beautiful houses, churches, and schools, giving rise to a city nestled in a valley, wealthy and renowned—a city proudly bearing its name, Banská Štiavnica.
Photo source: MŠ Ľ. Fullu Zvolen
