Petit Sablon or Kleine Zavel once was a park, now it's a garden. Central in the garden stands a fountain with the statue of Egmont and Hoorn. In the 16th century, they were the leaders of the resistance against the Spanish occupation in the Netherlands.
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| Picture by Pixabay |
In 1568 the Spanish governor Alva ordered to decapitate Egmont and Hoorn on the Grand Place. Paying the Spanish repression their heads. Their execution arouses aversion to the Spanish garrison.
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| Picture by Pixabay |
Round the fountain there are 12 statues of distinguished humanists, Mercator is one of them. There are more images embedded in the railing of the park, in total 48. They represent the medieval guilds of the city. The railing is designed by Paul Hankar, a distinguished representative of the art nouveau style.
You can find the garden at this address: Kleine Zavel, Petit Sablon, Brussels.