PAID CONTENT FOR BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUMS PAID CONTENT FOR BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUMS PAID CONTENT FOR BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUMS
Brussels City Museums BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Culture abounds in the Belgian capital, home to more than 150 museums. While it can often be hard to know where to start in a city of such cultural clout, the Brussels City Museums offer the perfect introduction to this diverse, dynamic capital
The multicultural Belgian capital offers visitors a wealth of cultural experiences, but for those looking to explore the city’s unique heritage — as well as its sense of humour — the Brussels City Museums offer the perfect opportunity.
THE GARDEROBE MANNEKEN PIS From the Atomium to the vast Grand Place, Brussels has no shortage of attractions, but perhaps one of the most head-turning is the Manneken Pis, a 55.5cm statue of a boy urinating into the basin of the fountain. It was probably in the 15th century that the
original Manneken Pis fountain was installed at the corner of the rue de l’Étuve and the Rue du Chêne. But as early as the 13th century, the city authorities had created public fountains in order to provide drinking water to a growing population. These urban features rapidly became popular as locations where people gathered to socialise. For the locals, they were useful landmarks in an expanding urban space.
86 In 1851, Manneken Pis became a unique
ornamental fountain. Brussels was one of the first European capitals to provide a domestic water distribution network for its inhabitants. The public fountains thus gradually lost their purpose and the majority were dismantled. But as a result of the statue’s renown, the Manneken Pis fountain escaped this fate. Many urban legends surround the fountain,
but one of the most enduring traditions is the statue’s eclectic wardrobe. From Dracula to Adolphe Sax, the irreverent fountain’s various costumes have helped establish the statue as one of the most recognisable sights in the city. Manneken Pis has donned more than 1,000 costumes to date and is dressed around 180 times a year — an official calendar of what the statue will wear each year is drawn up and displayed beside the fountain. While Manneken Pis’s outfits are today
part of the folklore of Brussels, his wardrobe forms an integral element of the city’s historical
heritage and are a testament to the sense of humour of the people of Brussels. Located just a stone’s throw from the fountain,
the GardeRobe Manneken Pis showcases almost 150 of the statue’s previous outfits. The unique museum first opened its doors in February 2017 and lets visitors can peruse Manneken Pis’s wardrobe by category: geography, folklore, charity and citizen associations, professions, personalities and characters, sports and stylists. While it’s common practice to dress some
religious statues, such as the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, Manneken Pis is the only known example in the world of a secular statue with its own wardrobe.
BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUM Commanding a section of the spectacular Grand Place, the capital’s most famous square, the Brussels City Museum is a neo-gothic masterpiece. Rebuilt in 1868, the building is called the Maison du Roi (King’s House)
in French and the Broodhuis (Bread House) in Dutch. These two different names can be explained by its very history; Broodhuis refers to its original use as a bread market in the 13th century, whereas Maison du Roi refers to the title of its owner, the Duke of Brabant. In the 16th century, this Duke was none other than Charles V, ‘king’ of the Spanish Empire. In 1936, the Maison du Roi was listed as a national heritage site (one of the first in Belgium) and, along with the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Today, the museum has more than 7,000
items that recount the heritage and history of the Belgian capital. Visitors can discover the region’s rich artistic traditions in paintings such as the Cortège des Noces (The Wedding Cortège), attributed to Jan Brueghel the Elder. Such masterpieces sit alongside world-famous Brussels tapestries including The Martyrdom of Saint Paul and its exceptional cartoon. A model depicts the city in the 13th century, while plans and maps show the city’s urban development.
Wooden and stone sculptures from Brussels buildings can be viewed alongside intriguing asparagus- and cabbage-shaped earthenware. The story of Manneken Pis is not just limited
to the fountain and the GardeRobe either. Fans of Manneken Pis can trace its quirky story through the ages at the City Museum. A highlight is the original statue, which is over 400 years old. Stolen on several occasions, but always recovered, the original statue of Manneken Pis was retired to safety in the Brussels City Museum in 1966. With the opening of the GardeRobe
Manneken Pis in February 2017, the room housing the authentic Manneken Pis was reorganised as a cabinet of curiosities around the original statue, which visitors can now admire in all its glory. The history of the statue is also explained, enabling visitors to gain a better understanding of its importance by exploring its origins, learning about its sculptor, and seeing how the statue has become firmly embedded in the city’s culture.
Don’t miss The original statue of Manneken Pis, created by J Duquesnoy in 1619, carefully preserved at the Maison du Roi in the Grand Place
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Get in touch
mannekenpis.brussels
T: +32 2 514 53 97 E:
musea@brucity.be
brusselscitymuseum.brussels T: +32 2 279 43 50 E:
musea@brucity.be
IMAGES: BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUM © ANDREA ANONI; GARDEROBE MANNEKENPIS © EMILIE GOMEZ
IMAGES: BRUSSELS CITY MUSEUM © ANDREA ANONI; GARDEROBE MANNEKENPIS © EMILIE GOMEZ
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