Brabo Fountain

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The Brabo Fountain is situated in Antwerp's Grote Markt, directly in front of the city's Town Hall. This bronze fountain was unveiled with great ceremony in 1887 by Jef Lambeaux. The inspiration behind it lies in a legendary tale that explains how the city got its name, Antwerp. According to this story, a giant named Druon Antigoon would cut off the hands of ship captains who refused to pay toll and then throw them into the Scheldt River. However, Brabo, a Roman army captain, retaliated by cutting off the giant's hand in a similar manner. The fountain depicts the moment when Brabo throws the giant's hand into the water. This legend is also believed to be the origin of the city's name, derived from the Dutch words "hand" and "werpen", which mean "to launch".