Manneken Pis is a small bronze statue and fountain in the centre of Brussels, Belgium, depicting a naked boy urinating into a basin. The figure, made by the sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder, replaced earlier stone versions of a similar fountain, and it has become a symbol of the humour and irreverence of the city. Several legends explain its origin, including a story that it commemorates a boy who put out a fuse and saved the city. It has been stolen or damaged several times, and the statue on the street today is a replica from the 1960s, while the original is kept in a museum. It is dressed in costumes for different occasions, and has a large wardrobe of outfits given by visitors and organisations.
Before and after
- from 1616 to 1912Qing dynasty
- 22 April 1616Death of Miguel de Cervantes
- 23 April 1616Death of William Shakespeare
- from 1618 to 1648Thirty Years' War
- 1619Manneken Pis
- August 1619The first enslaved Africans arrive in English Virginia
- from 1620 to 1621Polish–Ottoman War of 1620–1621
- 1620Construction of Luxembourg Palace
- from 30 August 1620 to 27 August 1623Palatinate campaign
More in Art, literature & culture
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.