Nello and Patrasche

This statue dedicated to the story of a Flemish boy and his dog near to the Cathedral of Our Lady. The Novella, A Dog of Flanders was written by Ouida in 1872. It centered around the lives of Nello, a young orphan boy aspiring to be a painter, and his dog Patrasche. The story is not very famous in the region despite it being set in Antwerp, but was a big hit in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. The climactic moment of A Dog of Flanders follows a desperate Nello, who after being wrongly accused of causing a fire in his village, goes to the cathedral in Antwerp to see his idol Rubens’s “The Elevation of the Cross” and “The Descent of the Cross.” However, he was out of money and unable to see the artwork. On Christmas Eve, Nello and his dog stayed at the cathedral when they found the doors open. The next morning, the boy and his dog are discovered frozen to death under his favorite artist’s painting. Worthwhile visit while visiting the Cathedral of Our Lady. #antwerp #antwerpen #cathedralofourlady #nelloandpatrasche #belgium