Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
22 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Belgium Antwerp Semini Sculpture

Semini Sculpture

This heavily worn bas-relief was once an honored fertility symbol.

Antwerp, Belgium

Added By
ahvenas
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Semini statue is up on the gate   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Above the gate leading into an Antwerp castle lies a bas-relief so worn it's easy to dismiss it. But to do so would be to miss an important symbol to the city's citizens. Known as Semini, the sculpture is, according to some accounts, very old, dating back as early as the second century. It once had a huge phallus and women gathered around it to gaze and pray to conceive. In the 16th century, the local clergy came to find the well-endowed statue inappropriate and castrated the sculpture in 1587. Another story tells that women themselves ground the stone phallus to make fertility potions.

The truth behind this figure is nearly impossible to deduce since few historical records have survived to verify most of the stories. By now, the worn bas-relief looks nearly flat and you need a great deal of creative power to imagine its body parts.

The origin of this fertility symbol is also controversial. Some consider it to be a representation of Roman fertility god Priapus, while others claim it's a Norse or Celtic fertility figure. For the people of Antwerp, Semini is still a beloved little figure and they proudly call themselves Semini’s Children.

Related Tags

Sculptures Sex Phallic Castles Statues

Know Before You Go

The sculpture is located on the front gate of the Het Steen castle. The fortress has been under renovation for quite some years, but the front gate and Semini can be observed from the street. 

Community Contributors

Added By

ahvenas

Edited By

Fred Cherrygarden

  • Fred Cherrygarden

Published

July 27, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.flanderstoday.eu/living/mysterious-flanders-castration-and-cautionary-tale
  • https://www.semini-saga.be/
Semini Sculpture
Steenplein 1
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium
51.220565, 4.395898
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cafe Beveren

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Lange Wapper Statue

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Brabo Fountain

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Antwerp

Antwerp

Belgium

Places 15
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Cafe Beveren

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Lange Wapper Statue

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Brabo Fountain

Antwerp, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Antwerp

Antwerp

Belgium

Places 15
Stories 3

Related Places

  • Wote Street Willy on Wote street, outside of Plush

    Basingstoke, England

    Wote Street Willy

    A sincere and thoughtful art installation, mistaken by many as a statue of a penis.

  • The Grotesques of Urgnano Castle

    Urgnano, Italy

    The Grotesques of Urgnano Castle

    Statues portraying anatomical deformities were placed in this garden to foster ethical behavior.

  • Close up of phallic rock

    Kharkhorin, Mongolia

    Kharkhorin Rock

    A mysterious phallic rock on the grounds of a Buddhist monastery.

  • The statue.

    Washington, D.C.

    The Winfield Scott Memorial

    The sculptor was instructed to add “stallion attributes” to the general's bronze mare.

  • Parable with Skull.

    Prague, Czechia

    Podobenství s Lebkou (Parable With Skull)

    An existential riddle in the world's largest ancient castle.

  • Chocolate Orange

    York, England

    Terry's Chocolate Orange Sculpture

    A unique tribute to the chocolatey past that helped shape one British city.

  • He’s just curious.

    Madrid, Spain

    'The Curious Neighbor'

    One of Madrid's most beloved statues is of an anonymous citizen.

  • Namur, Belgium

    ‘Djoseph et Françwès’

    A pair of iconic characters from the local newspaper argue over pet snails.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.