To our surprise – a popular tourist attraction in Brussels is the Manneken Pis (the peeing boy) statue.
The statue’s origins are unclear and there are a lot of legends surrounding how it came to be. We do know that in the 15th century, the Manneken Pis was a fountain that played an essential role in the distribution of drinking water and gradually became a symbol of Brussels’ folklore. Regardless, today the (replica) statue plays a symbolic role as protector of the city and spokesperson for the citizens of Brussels, as they often dress him up in mischievous ways.
He has almost 1,000 outfits in his wardrobe at Maison du Roi (the king’s house), which includes a range of clothing from expensive garments gifted by Louis XV of France to “American Football Player” and Elvis Presley outfits.
The Manneken Pis has been vandalized and stolen multiple times, by England, France and even locals throughout the years. So, today the 17th century version of the statue is kept safe in the Brussels City Museum. The current statue that tourists flock to is a replica from 1965.
In 1987, the Manneken Pis was joined by a peeing girl statue, Jeanneke Pis, and in 1998 a peeing dog statue, the Zinneke Pis.
The Jo Show 