Oude Vismijn

A spectacular building in the corner of the Square Veerle was the former fishmarket. The monumental Baroque entrance is a tribute to the sea and the rivers. At the top, you see the god Neptunus, the god of the sea.

At both sides of the gate, you see a statue of a man and a woman. These represent the symbol of the origin of Ghent: the confluence of the two rivers Schelde and Lyse.

The river Schelde is represented as a man, because its the biggest of the two. The river Lyse, is presented as a woman. This river meanders strongly before it reaches Ghent, in its alluvial plains between the City Deinze and Ghent. This capricious behaviour is apparently associated with a woman. Or is it perhaps because the river Lyse is more romantic and has always been the inspiration for many painters and poets?

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