After a seven-year wait, the statue on the fountain in the middle of Place Rouppe in the heart of Brussels that was missing a hand has been restored. However, the hand has now been placed in the wrong position.
The white marble statue, representing the City of Brussels and holding a laurel wreath in one hand, has been an important part of the square since 1848. The statue's hand, however, disappeared in unclear circumstances in 2017 and has been missing since.
The City of Brussels finally had the statue restored with a new hand, but it now appears that the restoration happened incorrectly. The hand in question was rebuilt in the wrong direction, making it seem as if the woman is holding up the laurel wreath like a trophy, rather than carrying it to the Brussels City Hall – as was initially intended by sculptor Charles-Auguste Fraikin.
Place Rouppe in Brussels. Credit: Belga/Axel Cleenewerck
The fault lies with employees of an external firm, the office of City of Brussels Councillor for Urban Planning and Public Space Anaïs Maes told The Brussels Times.
"During the repair, an external firm did indeed put the hand of the statue in the wrong position in Place Rouppe," they said. "The City of Brussels has been informed and anticipates that the right hand of the Rouppe monument will be restored to its correct position as soon as possible."
The statue in Place Rouppe, which used to be on the forecourt for the first Brussels-Midi Station, symbolises the Belgian capital during the time of liberal mayor Nicolas-Jean Rouppe, the first of the City of Brussels following Belgium's independence in 1830.
The statue presents Brussels as a woman who wears a crown in the shape of St Michael's Cathedral (as a symbol of the church) on her head, and carries the laurel wreath (a symbol of victory) in the direction of Brussels City Hall.
