Manneken Pis is a landmark 55.5 cm (21.9 in) bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels, Belgium, depicting a puer mingens; a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. Though its existence is attested as early as the mid-15th century, Manneken Pis was redesigned by the Brabantine sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1619. Its stone niche in rocaille style dates from 1770. The statue has been repeatedly stolen or damaged throughout its history. Since 1965, a replica has been displayed, with the original stored in the Brussels City Museum.
Manneken Pis
Detail from The Ommegang in Brussels on 31 May 1615 (Denis Van Alsloot, 1616). Manneken Pis (middle right) is dressed for the occasion.
View of the Fountain of Manneken Pis, etching by Jacobus Harrewijn from Les délices des Pays-Bas, 1697
Manneken Pis in its rocaille-style niche, fitted in 1770, appears to be smaller than in its original setting.
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region, located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca. Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well.
Image: Grand Place Bruselas 2
Image: Bruxelles Manneken Pis cropped
Image: Cathedrale des Saints Michel et Gudule Bruxelles, Belgium October 31, 2010 panoramio
Image: The Atomium during civil twilight (DSCF1135)