'Het Steen' castle and the 2nd AD statue of Semini, a Celtic god in Antwerp, Belgium.

Or roughly translated in English as the Rock, is Antwerp's oldest standing building. Build between 1200 and 1225, it was once the gated entry to the keep surrounding the inner city. It's called 'Stone' because it was once, one of the only stone buildings, the rest made of wood.

In front of the castle a modern statue of "Lange Wapper" a giant who haunted the area of Antwerp at night.
Brabo and Antigoon, two other legendary figures, the giant Antigoon was killed by the Roman legionary Brabo, who cut off his hand, threw it in the river, because Antigoon himself lifted toll on passing ships to enter the river and if they didn't he would cut off a hand. Folkore tells that they both lived in the castle at one time.

Located near the river, large parts of the building were torn down when the quay wall was build in 1880.

From 1549 to 1823 part of the building also served as a prison, but the larger complex also held the house of the Marquise, the open air courtroom, a fishmarket, church etc.

Het Steen by painter Linnig, 1840, the Steen didn't stand apart, but the whole old town was a whole construction of houses etc build one untop and next to the other.

Semini

Above the entrance of the Steen castle gate there is a small statue of Semini, a Celtic (perhaps Roman or Norse) God of youth and fertility. The statue had a big phallus, when the Spanish invaded the Low countries, the Jesuit destroyed that part of the staue in the 17th century. The statue itself is much older then the castle and might be 2nd century ad, worshiped when woman were in need of children, praying for pregnancy.

Inside the wall, expansions have been made through the ages, with a chapel, new living quarters, style updates etc,