Date

Circa 1910

The covering of the Senne (French: voûtement de la Senne, Dutch: overwelving van de Zenne) was one of the defining events in the history of Brussels. The Senne/Zenne (French/Dutch) was historically the main waterway of Brussels, but it became more polluted and less navigable as the city grew. By the second half of the 19th century, it had become a serious health hazard. In 1865, the mayor of Brussels, Jules Anspach (1829-1879), selected a design by architect Leon Suys to cover the river and build a series of grand boulevards and public buildings in imitation of recent developments in Paris. The Anspach fountain was designed for and originally erected on Place de Brouckère (inaugurated 22 August 1897), a junction created as part of the project . Architect: E Janlet; Statuary: P de Vigne, J Dillens, G de Vreese, P Braecke; Ornamental Sculpture: G Houtstont. Moved and re-erected in 1981.