Statue of Counts Egmont and Hoorn — Attraction in Brussels

The centre monument of Jardin du Petit Sablon in the Upper Town is the monumental Egmont and Hornes fountain and statue arrangement. Here you see the two historical figures, walking side by side in period attire. Both were beheaded for heresy after refusing to flee the city with the arrival of the Spanish backed Duke of Alba in 1568.

The monument was designed in 1864 and features an ornamental pillar with gold plated plague, Court of Egmont and Hornes coat of arms and water spouts which empty into a large basin pool. Around the Fountain are other statues and nicely landscaped shrubs and hedgerows.

If you enjoy statues and monuments, Jardin du Petit Sablon also features 48 smaller figures, positioned on individually crafted pillars which surround the garden. These statues represent historic occupations and were added to the garden near the end of the 19th century. They are worth viewing as well as the Egmont Hornes Fountain at Jardin du...

The two Flemish nobles were beheaded at Brussels’ Grand Place for treason to the Spanish crown that then ruled the Low Countries.

Lamoral, Count of Egmont and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn had a beef with the introduction of the Inquisition into the Netherlands by Egmont’s cousin, King Philip II, and got to hanging around with dubious characters like William of Orange.

Unluckily for this day’s duo, William didn’t teach them to read the writing on the wall.

After the Counts went easy on an outbreak of Protestant Iconoclasm, the Catholic king sent the hammer in the person of the Duke of Alba (or Alva).

Let this long-expired generation counsel posterity to find itself elsewhere when one’s door is darkened by a man known as “the Iron Duke”. William had the wit to get out of town. Egmont and Hoorn hung around, depending on their (professedly) clean...

The Counts of Egmont and Hoorn were executed at Grand Place in 1568 during a rebellion against the authority of King Philip II of Spain. This event significantly fueled the struggle for the independence of the Netherlands. The statues commemorating them originally stood at Grand Place until 1864 and were moved to their current location in 1890.

Today, the park surrounding the statues is tranquil, a place where one can find peace and reflect. The area is adorned with numerous historical statues. If you find yourself in Brussels, it's a spot not...