Le Bassinia

About

The Bassenia () is a late medieval fountain on the Grand Place of the Belgian city of Hoei. It has been protected since 1933 and has been declared an exceptional real estate heritage of the Walloon region in 2009.

History: According to an inscription, the fountain was made by the bronze casters Henri le Pottier and Pierelo del Grevier, and placed in 1406. From a year later, a deed that regulates the water supply from a well 1 km away dates. There must have been an earlier version of the fountain, because Jean d'Outremeuse († 1400) wrote about a market fountain with a metal basin, but his dating in 1217 and even earlier is not considered reliable. Rather, a foundation is thought to be possible around 1350. Hoeij fought with the Prince-Bishop of Liège in that period to safeguard her autonomy. The fountain was a symbol of urban power and identity, especially after the disappearance of the perroen in 1532. When Spanish-Liège troops rescued Hoei in 1595 and carried away the fountain as punishment, the inhabitants paid large sums to get her back. As a result, the fountain was embellished with the figure in 1597...