Behold Le Cracheur Den Spauwer. This isn’t just any fountain. It’s a story etched in stone and water. Right here at the corner of Rue des Pierres and Rue du Marché au Charbon stands a testament to old Brussels. Le Cracheur or Den Spauwer meaning The Spitter in old dialect. This high-flow drinking fountain dates back to 1704. The sculptor remains a mystery lost to time.
But the story goes much deeper than its 1704 inauguration. Records from the 14th century refer to it as the blue fountain. Le Cracheur has a fascinating past. It’s linked to a legend. The legend is connected to the Fountain of Three Goddesses or Three Maidens near St Nicholas church. On festival days these stone maidens dispensed wine instead of water.
One day a sailor foolishly drank from one of their breasts. He died drunk that same day. His wealthy parents erected Le Cracheur as an expiatory monument. They sought to atone for their son’s actions. The fountain replaced the Fountain of Three Goddesses. The location is the same.
The Spitter’s origin is shrouded in Brussels’ history. In 1695 a terrible bombardment destroyed it. It wasn’t restored until F J Janssens’ work. Originally it sat next to the butter pot on the Bread Market. This market is now gone. The city restored it to its original place in 1767.
In 1776 Claude Joseph Antoine Fisco made changes. He replaced the grotesque head. A triton now spouts water. It’s surrounded by rushes. The design we see today is largely due to Fisco’s work. Le Cracheur is a registered protected monument since 2002. This small fountain tells a tale of centuries. A tale of legends wine and a sailor’s demise. It is a captivating piece of Brussels’ heritage. A reminder of times past and stories yet untold.