Paep Thoon

Paepe Thoon, Brusselsestraat The hunchbacked fool figure from the fifteenth century, is one of the most notorious characters in the history of Leuven. He was born with the name 'Antonius' as the illegitimate son of the then parish priest of Saint Peter, Jan Van der Phalissen. On the advice of his father, Toon became the organist of the church, although he gained most of his fame in the city with his many jokes and antics. According to legend, even Duke Philip the Good would have been aware of his existence and his jokes. However, when Toon once made a joke that was too coarse, he was banished by a Leuven judge to Liège. But he didn't stay there long. With horse and cart, and under a thick layer of greasy clay from Liège, he returned to Leuven some time later. As all the residents were happy to see him again after a quiet and sad period in the city, the judge allowed him to stay. Even on his deathbed, Paepe Thoon remained true to himself: he determined that he should be buried under a stone fountain, so that he would never suffer from thirst. And that it should happen standing up. When later someone asked where Paepe Thoon was buried, everyone answered: “Nowhere.” The statue of Paepe Thoon was made by Peter Vanbekbergen from Kessel-Lo and was donated to the city of Leuven in 1991 by the Leuven Traders' Association in honor of their ninth anniversary. Sculptor: Peter Vanbekbergen Location: Brusselsestraat at the Lei Unveiled in 1991

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