Manneken Pis

Manneken Pis is a bronze fountain figure of a small boy urinating, 55.5 centimetres high, set in a niche on a street corner two blocks from the Grand Place. The present statue is a 1965 copy; the original of 1619 by Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder is kept in the city museum after repeated thefts. The custom that makes it more than a small statue is the dressing: he has a wardrobe of well over a thousand costumes donated by countries, cities, guilds and organisations, and he is dressed several times a week according to a published calendar, with a ceremony for the more significant outfits. The costumes are displayed in a dedicated wardrobe museum nearby. Two companion figures, Jeanneke Pis and Zinneke Pis, were added later.

History

The fountain is first recorded in 1451-1452, in a document on the water lines feeding the fountains of Brussels, when it stood on a column over a double stone basin, and it appears in a painting of the Ommegang of 1615, dressed as a shepherd. In 1619 the city council commissioned a new bronze, 55.5 centimetres tall, from Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder; it came through the French bombardment of 1695 unharmed, a pamphlet of that year already calling it renowned throughout the world, and in 1770 it was set in its blue stone niche in rocaille style (Wikipedia, Manneken Pis).

What to look for

• A 55.5-centimetre bronze - much smaller than most visitors expect.
• Costume changes - dressed several times a week from a published calendar.
• The wardrobe museum - over a thousand donated outfits on display.
• Companion figures nearby - Jeanneke Pis and Zinneke Pis.

When to go

Year round. Thirty minutes, or an hour with the wardrobe museum. Check the dressing calendar if you want to see him in costume, which most visitors prefer. Crowds are constant in daylight hours.

Practical notes

It is very small and almost every visitor says so; the surrounding crowd is larger than the statue. The street corner is packed and pickpocketing is common. Surrounding shops are aggressively touristy. The original statue is in a museum, not here.

Nearby

The Grand Place is two blocks away; the Sablon lies uphill to the south.

Key facts