Erasmus House

A haven of peace at the heart of Anderlecht’s historical centre, Erasmus House and gardens offers a chance to relive the pleasure of a time when this neighbourhood formed a small patch of countryside only a few steps from the capital.

The medieval structure, wonderfully preserved thanks to its occupation by Erasmus of Rotterdam in 1521, offers a selection of old editions of the humanist’s works and a series of etchings by Hans Holbein and Albrecht Dürer as well as paintings by Rogier Van der Weyden, Jérôme Bosch and other Flemish masters. At the rear of the house, a garden of medicinal plants, designed by René Pechère, offers a veritable botanical portrait of Erasmus, through the hundred or so varieties growing there. Nearby, the philosophical garden, designed by architect Benoît Fondu, is home to installations by contemporary artists, such as Bob Verschueren, Marie-Jo Lafontaine, Catherine Beaugrand and Perejaume.