This huge cast-iron cannon weighs 12,500 kg and is known as the 'Dulle Griet' or 'Mad Meg' (named after a Flemish folklore evil woman). A medieval supergun constructed in the first half of the 15th century, it was employed by the city of Ghent in the siege of Oudenaarde in 1452, but it was never fired and fell into the hands of the defenders on the retreat. The cannon was only returned to Ghent in 1578. It still retains its original reddish colour.
Today it stands in its own little square between a canal and the Vrijdagmarkt Square. The barrel was permanently closed a few years ago as it was often being used as a rubbish bin.