CITY HALL
Town hall housing the administration and the tourist office of the city, with beautiful rounded lines, located in Wavre
The town hall used to be located in the wheat market (place Cardinal Mercier). But in 1809, it moved to the former Carmes convent. Today, it houses the town's administration and tourist office. This17th-century building, with its beautifully rounded lines, dominated the "Marché aux Bestes". Like the magnificent Hôtel de l'Escaille (on Rue de Bruxelles), it was transformed into a field hospital during the fighting of the Brabant revolution in the early 19th century. It is remarkable for the stained glass window on its Baroque facade, which is quite extraordinary in its creation of faces, very modern for the time. It depicts Lord Jean, his lady Alice and the famous "Maca". These three characters are represented as giants at folk festivals, especially during the Wavre carnival. This character is a teenager, the emblem of Wavre, who symbolizes the mischievousness of the Wavriens, known as the Macas. On the square, you'll find a half-turned copper statue of him climbing the porch railing, his buttocks completely polished by the passage of hands! Legend has it that caressing his bottom will bring you luck and happiness. Another well-known Wavre statue is the Crapaute, a teenage girl standing at the edge of a water-lily-shaped pond, who, according to legend, is Maca's soul-mate. It stands behind the Hôtel de l'Escaille.
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