The most famous attraction in Brussels is the Manneken Pis Fountain

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

At the intersection of Oak and Bath streets, in the heart of the Belgian capital, is one of the most famous sculptures in the world and, without a doubt, the most popular attraction in Brussels - the Manneken Pis Fountain. It is a small statue of a small naked boy pissing in a pool. And although there are similar compositions in other cities of the world (for example, Gerardsbergen, Hasselt, Ghent have their own “pissing boys”), thousands and thousands of tourists gather near the Brussels bronze sculpture every year. Undoubtedly, the Belgian "Manneken Pis" is the most famous in the world.

History

Many legends go around the origin of this statue, and the most common of them is associated with the name of Duke Godfrey the Third. During the Grimbergen War, when the army of the monarch Gottfried the Third of Leuven fought the enemy, his two-year-old son (this was Duke Godfrey the Third) was hung in a basket on a tree so that the sight of the future ruler would inspire the townspeople. The child allegedly urinated on top of the warriors fighting under the tree, and they lost the battle.

Eat andanother version. Brussels in the 14th century was under siege, the enemies sought to plant explosives and blow up the city walls. But they were followed by a little boy named Julian. The child peed on a burning wick, thanks to which he extinguished the ammunition spread by the enemy and saved the city.

However, there is another story that tells about the origin of the Manneken Pis sculpture. One day, a rich merchant's little son went missing. They gathered a large group of people to search for him, every corner of the city was searched. And then the child was found pissing in the garden. The merchant was immensely happy, and as a thank you to the locals, he decided to install a fountain in this place.

Author of the Manneken Pis sculpture

Where is the truth and where is fiction, hardly anyone will know now. It is only known for certain that the statue acquired its present form thanks to the skill of the court mannerist sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy in 1619. And since 1695, she was repeatedly kidnapped. Once this happened during the stay of Napoleonic troops in Brussels, and the last time the sculpture "Manneken Pis" was stolen in the 1960s, after which it, as before, was replaced with a copy. In 1908, a silent French film was even made about the pursuit of the statue thieves.

Traditions

There are many interesting traditions associated with this fountain. For example, on holidays it is customary to replace the stream of water with beer or wine. Also, from time to time, the Manneken Pis statue dresses in costumes. First dress forsculpture, as the story goes, was created in 1968 by the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian-Emmanuel, and since then it has become not just a tradition, but a kind of honoring the guests of the city.

Costume change

A list of all the outfits that "Manneken Pis" will change during the month is posted monthly on the fountain grate. Several hundred different costumes include the statue's wardrobe. All outfits are changed strictly in accordance with the list compiled by a non-profit organization called "Friends of Manneken Pis". As a rule, a brass band plays at the ceremonies of changing the vestments, and the action turns into a real holiday. Not far from the sculpture, in the central city square, there is the Royal Museum, which presents an exposition of outfits, numbering more than eight hundred copies. Many costumes are the national clothes of countries whose citizens visit the Belgian capital as tourists. Other vestments are uniforms of various professions, military services, associations and so on.

Diverse wardrobe

The Manneken Pis statue was dressed in everything! For example, in honor of Hungary's six-month EU presidency, the boy was dressed in a Hungarian hussar outfit. In 2004, in order to draw attention to the problems of child soldiers, at the initiative of Amnesty International, he was dressed in a soldier's uniform. Tried on a boy also donated by the international space missionRussian cosmonaut costume, Santa Claus outfit, urologist outfit, United States Air Force cadet uniform, judo wrestler outfit, Dracula and Inca evil spirit outfits and many more.

Similar statues

It should be noted that, in an effort to keep the glory of the fountain, the people of Brussels installed several similar compositions in the city. So, in 1987, not far from the "Manneken Pis", at the end of the Alley of Fidelity, they put the "Manneken Pis". According to one version, this statue was a parody of the world-famous symbol of the city. The author of the sculpture is Denis-Adrian Debouvry. The composition is a naked girl pissing into a tank below. For safety reasons, the statue is located in a niche, which is surrounded by bars.

There is another similar sculpture in the center of Brussels. This is a life-size bronze figurine of a mongrel pissing dog. The animal is depicted with its hind paw planted on a sidewalk pole. This composition was created in 1999 by sculptor Tom Franzen. A mixed breed dog, as the author testifies, symbolizes the unification of different cultures in Brussels. You can see the sculpture "Pissing Dog" near the fountains "Manneken Pis" and "Manneken Pis", which served as the idea for its creation. This is Belgian art!