The Stone

Het Steen is the oldest building in Antwerp. It is located on the Scheldt at the level of the former peninsula the Werf. In the 9th century, the first settlement with an earthen rampart appeared on the Werf. Thus, a fortress was created. Around the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, a stone castle wall and the Steen, one of the three gateway buildings of the fortress, were built here. The Steen was extensively renovated under Charles V, in the early 16th century. You can still see that in the color difference in the facade. During the straightening of the quays at the end of the 19th century, the Werf was excavated. Only the Steen now serves as a reminder of the fortress. In 1889-90 it was restored, renovated, and expanded with a neo-Gothic wing. Until 1823, the Steen was used as a prison. After the Steen briefly served as a residence, sawmill, and fish storage place, it opened its doors as a museum in 1862. Initially as the Museum of Antiquities and from 1952 to 2008 as the National Maritime Museum. Now you can admire that collection in the MAS|Museum aan de Stroom. A striking detail above the Steenpoort is the Seminimage, an ancient fertility symbol. In the 16th century, Jesuits mutilated the figurine by hacking off the penis.

padre jeannot