Manneken Pis
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Why go
- The bronze boy in the ornate blue stone niche of 1770 (rocaille style) at the corner of Rue du Chêne and Rue de l'Étuve
- The costume change on one of the fixed dates listed on the schedule posted on the fountain railings
- The GardeRobe MannekenPis museum: 133 of its roughly 1,000 costumes, shown since 2017 at Rue du Chêne 19
- The original bronze on the second floor of the Brussels City Museum, in the King's House on the Grand-Place
- The boy's self-mocking nature, which is seen as belgitude, the typical Belgian identity
About the work
- artist
- Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder Brussels sculptor, commissioned in 1619 to make the bronze statue
- year
- 1619–1620 Commissioned in 1619; probably cast and set in place in 1620
- material
- Bronze The 1619 original is bronze; the 1965 copy on site is an exact copy of it.
- size
- 55.5 cm tall 61 cm with its base
Interesting facts11
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Its name is Dutch for 'Little Pissing Man'.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
Its nickname Petit Julien is wrongly tied to a vanished fountain.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
1616
It appears in a 1616 painting of the 1615 Ommegang by Denis Van Alsloot and Antoon Sallaert.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
1817
A doctoral thesis has questioned whether the statue on display is the original, suspecting a copy was put up after the 1817 theft.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
Brussels and Geraardsbergen dispute which Manneken Pis is the oldest.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
2001
In 2001 Ryanair used its image in an advert; Sabena sued, and Ryanair was ordered to apologise.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
2018
In 2018 it received its 1000th costume, made by fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
Louis XV gave a medal, and French soldiers must salute the statue when passing it.
Brussels/Centre - Wikivoyage (see) -
18 garments
Japan has given 18 garments, the most of any non-European donor.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
It is dressed for international football matches and for the birthdays of Elvis Presley and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia -
1998
It gained a dog counterpart, Zinneke Pis, in 1998.
Manneken Pis - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Manneken Pis - Symbol of BrusselsWalkWise
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I am the personal stylist of Brussels' Manneken PisDW Euromaxx
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3 facts about Brussel's Manneken PisDW Travel
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Manneken Pis: Brussels’ Landmark!PlutoTravels
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Belgium’s Peeing Hero? The Story Behind Manneken PisGeographyPin
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Manneken-Pis dons Chinese attire for China's National DayNew China TV
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Manneken de pis famous statue of a boy urinating as a fountainTravel the world with Monie
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Manneken PisThe Welsh Traveller
Legends and hidden details
- A boy named Julian spotted a fuse that enemies had laid under the city walls, and spat on it.
- In one legend, a small duke, Godfrey III of Leuven, urinated on enemy troops from a basket hung in an oak at Ransbeek.
- A witch cursed a boy who had urinated at her door to do so forever; a good man turned him into a statue.
- A father, glad to find his lost son, had a fountain made to thank the people who helped in the search.
- Around 1745, English soldiers are said to have taken the statue; it was found in Geraardsbergen.
- Geraardsbergen has a rival statue of its own, dated 1459.
- Tradition says a Bible verse was placed above its head after the 1695 bombardment.
- Some believe it was made to mark the battle at Ransbeek.
Best time to visit
- Dressing takes place on fixed dates; the schedule is posted on the fountain railings.
- The costume change is often accompanied by brass band music, so a dressing day is the time to hear it.
- Each year, on the day new students are initiated, it wears a costume and pours out a barrel of beer.
How to get there
- 5 minOn footFrom the Grand-Place, walk south-west along the street beside the City Hall to the corner of Rue du Chêne and Rue de l'Étuve.
Sources: Manneken Pis - Wikipedia · Brussels/Centre - Wikivoyage (see) · Manneken-Pis | City of Brussels · Manneken Pis - Wikipedia · Manneken-Pis - Wikipedia · Manneken Pis van Brussel - Wikipedia · Manneken Pis: menu (its own site) · Manneken Pis: menu (its own site) · Manneken Pis: menu (its own site) · checked 17 Oct 2026
Questions and answers
Is the Manneken Pis statue on the street the original?
The statue on the street is a 1965 copy of the 1619–1620 bronze. The original bronze is displayed in the Brussels City Museum on the Grand-Place.
Can you drink from the Manneken Pis fountain?
No. A protective grille has kept people away from its water since 1851. Since early 2019, its water has run in a closed loop.
How many costumes does Manneken Pis have?
About 1,000 costumes. 133 of them are on show at the GardeRobe MannekenPis museum, Rue du Chêne 19, which opened in 2017.
What does the name Manneken Pis mean?
It is Dutch for 'Little Pissing Man', or 'the little man who pees' in the local dialect. A nickname, Petit Julien, is wrongly tied to a vanished fountain.
Are there other statues like Manneken Pis in Brussels?
Yes. Jeanneke Pis, a female counterpart, was added in 1985. Zinneke Pis, a dog counterpart, followed in 1998.
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