Manneken pis |
vertical divider
is a figure 61 centimeters high, which is part of the city fountain, which next to the Atomium and the Main Square became one of the most famous symbols of Brussels. Initially, it was an ordinary fountain, which from the 15th century played an important role in the distribution of drinking water. When in the nineteenth century it lost its main function in the city's water transport network, it slowly became a symbol of Brussels folklore.
|
A small fountain stands on the corner of du Chene and de l'Etuve. It was built at the end of the Middle Ages, when Brussels was developing a public water supply system. In 1619, the Brussels authorities decided to rebuild the fountain. The column, pond and statue were changed. The original stone statue was replaced by a bronze model, made at the request of the authorities by a sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder. The English stole it, then the French. The King of France, Louis XV, ordered to hand over the sculpture of the boy stolen by his soldiers, dressing it, to relieve tension, in the magnificent uniform of the officer of the French Guard. This disguise is today the oldest surviving outfit in which Manneken Pis was dressed. From the 15th to the 18th century, the peeing boy character was popular in art, and was often used to create fountains in Europe.
It is known that in the 17th century Manneken Pis was dressed at least four times a year. Nowadays, the figurine is dressed around 130 times a year. In 1770 the simple column, on which the statue was mounted, was replaced by a rococo background taken from another urban fountain. In 1965 the sculpture was destroyed and disappeared. The Brussels authorities ordered a copy that replaced the original. A year later the original statue was found in the canal. Currently, it is exhibited at the City Museum at the Main Market, which also has a collection of almost a thousand costumes in which Manneken Pis was dressed.
In 1985, Belgian feminists demanded a girl's version of the monument. This is how the Jeanneke Pis figurine was created. located on Impasse de la Fidelte, cross street of rue des Bouchers. In later years, Zinneke Pis was also created, a figurine of a pissing dog. It was placed at the intersection of Rue des Chartreux and Rue du Vieux Marche aux Grains, in the district of St. Géry.
In 1985, Belgian feminists demanded a girl's version of the monument. This is how the Jeanneke Pis figurine was created. located on Impasse de la Fidelte, cross street of rue des Bouchers. In later years, Zinneke Pis was also created, a figurine of a pissing dog. It was placed at the intersection of Rue des Chartreux and Rue du Vieux Marche aux Grains, in the district of St. Géry.
It is worth starting a walk through the streets around the Grand Place. There are many interesting tenements here. They are obviously not as spectacular as those on the main market, but they are just as cute. The most famous street is of course Rue des Bouchers, which kept the medieval name from the time when meat was trading on its pavement.
The street is accessible only to pedestrians, today it is called the belly of Brussels, which refers to the cafes and restaurants located here. Here you can eat specialties typical of Belgian cuisine, but also try dishes from other regions of the world. The street is always full of tourists taking a break here while exploring the city.
The street is accessible only to pedestrians, today it is called the belly of Brussels, which refers to the cafes and restaurants located here. Here you can eat specialties typical of Belgian cuisine, but also try dishes from other regions of the world. The street is always full of tourists taking a break here while exploring the city.
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert |
vertical divider
The 200-meter glazed shopping street was designed by Jean Pierre Cluysenaar, which created two monumental galleries, entirely covered with a glass roof. The galleries were built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The interior design was made by Joseph Jacquet . The building was opened in 1847 by the King of Belgium Leopold I .
The gallery formerly called the Brussels umbrella was the best example of the city's commercial development in the 19th and 20th centuries. T o one of the first shopping malls in the world. It is made up of the King's Gallery, Queen's Gallery and Princes' Gallery (French: Les Galeries de la Reine, du Roi et des Princes). |
The first cinema screening of the Lumiere brothers took place in 1896 at Galerie de la Reine at 7 (now it houses a shop with authentic Brussels lace). The gallery was created as a combination of various functions of the city: cultural, commercial and entertainment. High-class shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafes have been under one roof for 150 years. You will also find the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts, a cinema, the EXPO gallery, as well as the Royal Theater and the Wodewil Theater.
Gallery Address: Galerie du Roi 5, 1000 Brussels
The Gallery can be accessed from the streets: Rue de L'Ecuve, Rue d'Artenberg, Rue des Bouchers and Rue du Marche aux Herbes.
The Gallery can be accessed from the streets: Rue de L'Ecuve, Rue d'Artenberg, Rue des Bouchers and Rue du Marche aux Herbes.