Near Brussels’ Grand Place, Everard ’T Serclaes is a polished bronze sculpture set into the Maison de l’Étoile on Rue Charles Buls. Julien Dillens made it in 1902; the reclining figure depicts the 14th-century Brussels hero dying. Passers-by have rubbed the statue for luck, leaving its surface bright where hands touch it. Stop to see the sculpture and learn about the local legend, or pause to make a wish as part of the tradition. It is a brief visit, easy to add to a walk around the square.
A sculpture in the Maison de l’Étoile
The bronze monument is set into the exterior of the Maison de l’Étoile on Rue Charles Buls, close to Grand Place. Made by Julien Dillens in 1902, it shows a reclining man at the point of death. Its bright, polished surface stands out against the building; repeated touching by passers-by has kept parts of the statue gleaming.
Everard ’T Serclaes and the good-luck custom
The figure represents Everard ’T Serclaes, a Brussels hero associated with the city’s 14th-century history. The monument has become part of a local good-luck tradition: people rub the sculpture and make a wish. Some connect the gesture with good fortune or a future return to Brussels. The statue is small, so it can be easy to pass without noticing it while walking near the square.
Preguntas frecuentes
Where is the Everard ’T Serclaes statue?
It is set into the Maison de l’Étoile on Rue Charles Buls, near Grand Place in Brussels.
What does the statue depict?
Julien Dillens’s 1902 sculpture depicts the reclining, dying figure of Everard ’T Serclaes, a Brussels hero.
Why do people touch the statue?
Rubbing the sculpture is a local good-luck tradition. Some people also make a wish or associate the gesture with returning to Brussels.
