Nello & Patrasche

Nello and Patrasche are the main characters from the English novel A Dog of Flanders from 1872. The story takes place in Hoboken and Antwerp. Among other things, the Cathedral of Our Lady and the paintings of Rubens play an important role in it.

Nello, a poor orphan boy, becomes friends with Patrasche, a neglected draft dog. Together they go to the city every day. There they often visit the cathedral, where Nello admires the paintings of Rubens. Due to a series of misfortunes, the lives of Nello and Patrasche end in the same cathedral. They die together of deprivation. In this touching and atypical Christmas story, there is a message of pride and unconditional friendship.

Artist Batist Vermeulen ('Tist') designed a new statue of the boy and his dog. You can admire it at the Handschoenmarkt, in front of the cathedral.

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