Brabo's Monument — Attraction in Antwerp

The central fountain of Antwerp, for those unfamiliar with local legend, is a rather strange sight: a naked man throwing a huge severed hand. The Brabo Fountain (Brabofontein in Dutch) is a tribute to the mythical Roman soldier Silvius Brabo. According to legend, there was once a giant named Druon Antigoon who built a fortress along the Scheldt River. The giant forced passing ships to pay a toll, as well as anyone crossing the nearby bridge. If travelers refused, Antigoon would cut off one of their hands and throw it into the river. The giant's blackmail ended when Silvius Brabo sailed across the river. He refused to pay the giant's toll and challenged him to a duel. Brabo defeated and cut off the giant's head and hand, which he threw into the river as the giant had once done. According to folklore, the name Antwerp (Antwerp in Flemish or Antwerpen in Dutch) came from this very legend, with "Antwerpen" in Flemish and "Hand werpen" in Dutch both meaning "hand throwing". This has been disputed by etymologists, but the legend is much celebrated in the city, as evidenced by the fountain and the famous chocolate hands of Antwerp. Brabo's sculpture depicts the soldier throwing the giant's hand into the river, with water gushing from the severed wrist like blood. Brabo stands on a high pedestal decorated with a series of creatures, including fish, a sea lion, a turtle, a dragon-like monster, and some mermaids holding a castle, symbolizing Antwerp. And beneath Silvius Brabo's feet lies the severed head of the giant Antigoon. The statue was designed by Belgian sculptor Jef Lambeaux and inaugurated in 1887. It was placed in the center of the Grote Markt, in a prime location in front of the town hall. It not only represented the legend of Silvius Brabo, it was also a symbolic celebration of the liberation of the Scheldt River. For more than a century, the Dutch had demanded tolls from ships passing along the river, seriously hindering the development of Antwerp. Finally, in 1863, the Dutch stopped charging tolls, and this was cause for much celebration in Antwerp. While the legend of Antwerp’s chocolate hands tells a story of sweet victory, there is a more complex, bitter, and often overlooked story associated with the symbol of severed hands in Belgium. From 1885 to 1908, the Congo was a Belgian colony controlled by King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold made his fortune by exporting Congo’s valuable resources, such as rubber and ivory. To do this, the king’s army forced many Congolese into labor. And of those who did not comply, the soldiers cut off their hands and presented them to their superiors as proof of their oppression. And while news of Leopold's regime sparked an international outcry that resulted in him losing control of the state in 1908, the Congo remained a Belgian colony until it regained its...

This is called as Brabo Fountain, it always impresses by the extravagant 16th-century city hall and guildhalls that surround the historic main square. And then they take a closer look at the central fountain, which for those unfamiliar with local legend is quite a peculiar sight: a naked man in the act of throwing a huge severed hand.

The Brabo Fountain (Brabofontein in Dutch) is a tribute to the mythical Roman soldier Silvius Brabo. According to legend, there was once a giant named Druon Antigoon who built a fortress along the Scheldt River. The giant forced passing boats to pay a toll, as well as anyone crossing the nearby bridge. If the travelers refused, Antigoon cut off one of their hands and tossed it into the river.

The giant’s reign of extortion came to an end when Silvius Brabo sailed down river. He refused to pay the giant’s toll, and challenged the giant to a duel. Brabo was victorious, and chopped off the giant’s head as well as his hand, which he threw into the river just like the giant once did.

According to folklore, the name Antwerp—or Antwerpen in Dutch— came from this very legend, with Antwerpen in Flemish and hand werpen in Dutch both meaning “hand throwing.”

The sculpture of Brabo depicts the soldier as he throws the giant’s hand in the river, water spouting out of the severed wrist like blood. Brabo stands on a tall pedestal decorated with an array of creatures, including fish, a sea lion, a turtle, a dragon-like monster and some mermaids holding up a castle, symbolizing Antwerp. And beneath the feet of Silvius Brabo is the severed head of the giant Antigoon, the slain scourge of the now liberated river.

The statue was designed by the Belgian sculptor Jef Lambeaux and inaugurated in 1887. It was placed at the center of the Grote Markt, in a prime location in front of the city hall. Not only did it represent the legend of Silvius Brabo, it was also a symbolic celebration of the freeing of the Scheldt River.

The place is very lovely. There are many restaurants and shopping market as it's located in the centre and near...

No matter how hard you'll try, you won't be able to leave Antwerp without seeing our beautiful city hall and the Brabo monument. I am sure your tour guide has an elaborate article dedicated to this beautiful Renaissance building, which happens to be UNESCO Heritage, and the statue in front of it.

Locals call this edifice "'t schoon verdiep." In doing so, they refer to the beautiful first floor where the mayor of Antwerp kicks back and relaxes during these harsh economic times. All thanks to Salvus Brabo, a hero with Roman roots.

This combatant slew the giant, Antigoon, who taxed all the ships seeking to enter the harbour, 50 percent of their stock (even worse than our current government). After a rigorous battle, he cut off the hand from the giant and threw it into the river. Given the fact that the behemoth had done the same with the hands of revolting sailors, this repercussion was well-suited. The statue that honours this brave Roman warrior is situated in front of the prime location that houses all of the city's official receptions and occasional weddings.

This legend explains how Antwerp got its name. The two Dutch words "hand" and "werpen", which mean hand and throwing, were concatenated into "Antwerpen." Either way, with no giants around, except for the local basketball team, our mayor is at ease.

Enjoy wandering around the square in front of this stupendous structure, where my favourite statue is located, and enjoy the view. Try to spot some chopped off hands as well while...