Manneken Pis
Everyone knows the Manneken Pis. It's Brussels's famous peeing cherub, or is it? The modern version standing in the capital is actually a replica of a statue made by Jérôme Duquesnoy in 1619 to replace the original 15th-century fountain (then known as "Petit Julian") made in 1450. Around the same time, in 1452, Geraardsbergen was in the process of being destroyed by Ghentish forces. In rebuilding the city, they ordered a new lattoenen mannekin ("man in brass") from the Brussels fountain master Jan Van Der Schelden. By 1459, the peeing putto (cherub) was in place, and while a replica now stands in the square, the original can still be seen in a new visitor center beside the town hall. So, while Brussels's statue was made first, it is long since gone, and Geraardsbergen's is the older surviving example. If you arrive on the first Sunday of June, it gets even more curious, with the traditional "throwing" of a golden Manneken Pis from the steps of the Town Hall. And it gets stranger still: inside the visitor center, you can also see a selection of 300 special outfits gifted to the statue.
