OVER 160 MADONNAS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Hidden Antwerp: The Story Behind the City’s Corner Madonnas
As we wandered through the winding streets of Antwerp during our Tauck river cruise, we kept noticing something curious: corner Madonnas in Antwerp — statues of the Virgin Mary perched high above street corners Some were simple. Others were surrounded by ornate canopies, gilded trim, and even lamps that once lit the way at night.
At first, we thought it was a charming coincidence. But soon, we realized there was a deeper story hidden above the city’s doorways.
A City Watched Over by Mary
These corner Madonnas date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when Antwerp was a strongly Catholic city. Residents and religious guilds placed statues of the Virgin Mary on their buildings as a public sign of faith, devotion, and protection.
More than just decorative, these figures were meant to bless the street below and provide spiritual comfort to all who passed. In some cases, the statues even included lamps that were lit at night, illuminating the dark alleyways of the city.
SEE THE MADONNA ON THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT?
A Holy Loophole: The Tax Connection
There’s also a practical twist to the tradition. In certain periods, homeowners who placed a Madonna on their building — and especially those who kept it illuminated at night — could qualify for an exemption from the city’s lighting tax or property fees. So while these figures were indeed spiritual, they were also a clever way to trim the tax bill.
It’s a uniquely Antwerp blend of piety and pragmatism.
Finding Madonnas Today
More than 160 of these statues still exist around Antwerp, quietly perched above street level. Once you know to look for them, they appear everywhere — from tucked-away alleys to busy pedestrian routes.
Some have been beautifully restored with gilded halos and spotlights, while others remain weathered and quietly dignified. Each one is different, and discovering them becomes a kind of visual treasure hunt for anyone walking the city.
If you look closely and hit the photo to enlarge, you can see one of these Madonnas on the corner of the building, in front of the Rooden Hoed restaurant. By the way, we dined in that restaurant and also visited that beautiful cathedral. I’ll tell you about both in future articles.
Want to explore more of Antwerp’s unique street-level history? Visit the City of Antwerp’s tourism site for cultural highlights and walking routes through the old town.
Why We Wander
As we explored these quiet corners, it reminded us of why we love river cruising with Tauck: the chance to slow down, look up, and discover the unexpected. These statues weren’t on the itinerary. But they made a lasting impression.
This experience was part of our recent Tauck river cruise through Belgium and Holland.
To see all of our daily highlights, reflections, and photos, visit our full cruise landing page here.
For more information or to book a Tauck river cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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This article was written with the aid of Perplexity AI, Grok, or ChatGPT. Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an independent affiliate of Cadence and a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40
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