Maison d'Érasme

About the museum

The Maison d'Érasme is one of the oldest houses in Brussels. Built of brick between 1460 and 1515, a rare survivor of the Gothic style in Brussels, it stands near the collegiate church of Saints-Pierre-et-Guidon in Anderlecht and bears the date 1515 on its façade. The great humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam stayed there from May to October 1521, welcomed by the canon Pieter Wijchman, and worked there on a new edition of the New Testament.

The museum was inaugurated on 24 September 1932; the house has been protected as a monument since the late 1930s and was restored in 1986. The rooms recreate a Renaissance interior with Gothic and Renaissance furniture. The heart of the collection is made up of 16th-century books and editions of the writings of Erasmus and other humanists, which show the ideas of a mind that profoundly shaped European civilisation.

The museum also has fine gardens: a medicinal herb garden designed in 1987 by René Pechère, which grows around a hundred plants known to 16th-century physicians, and a philosophical garden created in 2000 by Benoit Fondu, adorned with works by contemporary artists. A few minutes' walk away is the restored Béguinage of Anderlecht, run by the same team and freely accessible while awaiting a future museum project.

Highlights

• Gothic brick house dated 1515, Erasmus's stay in 1521
• Reconstructed interior with Gothic and Renaissance furniture
• Old books of the 16th century, editions of Erasmus and other humanists
• René Pechère's medicinal herb garden and the philosophical garden
• 3D virtual tour of the upper floors and an augmented reality visit
• Restored Béguinage of Anderlecht, very close by and free

Permanent exhibitions

• La Maison d'Érasme – Renaissance interior with Gothic furniture, paintings and 16th-century books that evoke the life and thought of Erasmus.
• Les jardins – René Pechère's medicinal herb garden and Benoit Fondu's philosophical garden, with works by contemporary artists.

Founded

1932

Operated by

Commune d'Anderlecht (Service des Musées)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every first Sunday of the month

Free for children under 6, journalists, ICOM members, members of the non-profit Les Amis du musée Érasme, and with the Pass Musées and the Brussels Card. Reduced rates on presentation of an official card. Free entry for teachers and for pupils of primary and secondary schools on a school visit. The béguinage is free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Because of the old architecture, only the ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users; visitors should ask at reception. The upper floors can be discovered by a virtual 3D tour. The béguinage is not accessible by wheelchair (narrow doors of listed buildings). Assistance dogs are admitted to the house and the béguinage. Guided tours in sign language and for blind or visually impaired people (touch tour) can be arranged on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Visitor booklet for families (ages 6 to 12) to explore the museum independently, children's workshops such as “Le jardin du guérisseur” and a family activity calendar. Free for children under 6.

Getting there & parking

From Brussels-Midi station: tram 81 (towards Debussy) or bus 49. By road: exit 14 Pede / Moortebeek from the ring road, then boulevard Sylvain Dupuis. Bicycle racks are in front of the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum bookshop at the reception of the Maison d'Érasme: recent editions of the writings of Erasmus and other humanists, books on the béguines, postcards and tote bags.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit