Fountain "Li Bassinia" - Huy

Li Bassinia is a medieval fountain erected in 1406 in the center of Huy's Grand Place. She is one of the so-called 'four wonders of Huy'.

The fountain then consisted of a large copper basin . This would have been cast with an old clock, Marie hideuse. This bell was used to ring during executions or during an enemy attack on the city walls.

The fountain is crowned by 4 crenellated towers alternating with 4 statuettes . These represent different saints :

Saint Catherine: she reminds us that the water that feeds Li Bassinia comes from a spring in the faubourg Saint Catherine. She was of royal blood, as can be seen by the crown she wears.
Saint Domitian : his priestly vestments and the chalice and book he carries indicate that he was a famous bishop of Maastricht. He was also patron saint of the city and played an important role in Huy.
Saint Mengold: he wears a haubert, a coat of mail that protects his body and head, and a sword (now lost). He was the secondary patron of the city and Count of Huy.
Saint Ansfried : he was the last count of the city of Huy in the 10th century. He wears knee pads like the knights of old: they show that Saint Ansfried, before he became a bishop, was a renowned warrior.

In 1597 a fifth statue was added to the Bassinia. This represents the "Cwèrneû" . The cwèrneû was the city's watchman who stood on top of the old belfry and blew his horn to warn the city when an enemy came to threaten the city.

In the 1st half of the 18th century, Li Bassinia was decorated with a wrought iron canopy bearing the double- headed eagle of the Germanic-Roman Empire. This eagle is a reminder that the city of Huy was part of a fief of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1735, stone basins were added to the fountain. These were restored in 1881 and bear the names of the mayors under whom the previous restorations had taken place.

Nowadays the fountain is fed in the same way as then: the water is pumped from a source in the Sint-Katelijne district.

Li Bassinia has been classified as an exceptional Walloon heritage since 1999.

Willem Vandenameele