Anderlecht through the Ages

Erasmus House, Collegial Church of St. Peter and St. Guidon, urban farm at the Foodmet

During our visit to the Erasmus House we go back to 1521, the year in which Desiderius Erasmus stayed there for 5 months at the invitation of his friend Pieter Wijchman, canon and schoolmaster of the Chapter of Anderlecht.

We discover both the intellectual and private life of the great philologist and theologian, among others, through a rich collection of paintings and antiquarian books. We will also stroll through the Gardens of Pleasure and Knowledge, consisting of a garden of medicinal herbs and a philosophical garden with its various rooms designed by contemporary artists.

The house, built in the early Renaissance style, has been a museum managed by the municipality of Anderlecht since 1931 and is today a meeting place for many cultural activities.

One of the cultural and historical icons of Anderlecht is certainly the Collegiate Saint-Peter and Guidon church, built between the second half of the 14th century and the middle of the 16th century,  which we will also shortly visit. It is one of the most beautiful churches in Brabant Gothic style in the Brussels region.

Afterwards we are expected in the restaurant “Le Chapeau Blanc” for our lunch, located a 5-minute walk from the Erasmus House. (Rue Wayez / Wayezstraat, 200, 1070 Anderlecht – 2 courses incl.water and 1 glass of wine/beer /soft drink plus coffee or tea. Vegetarians please notify at registration.)

Erasmus House

In the afternoon, after a short metro ride and walk, we will discover modern day Anderlecht by visiting the first urban farm in the Brussels region called the “BIGH-project or Building Integrated Greenhouses”.

Our guide will take us to the fish nursery, the vegetable plots and other plants grown without the use of pesticides and antibiotics and we will learn everything about the optimal use of water, energy and the recycling of waste.

The urban farm or BIGH-project is is situated on the roof of the Foodmet, a food market on the historic ‘Site de l’Abattoir’, Quai de l’industrie 168, Rue Ropsy-Chaudron, 24, 1070-Anderlecht.

How to get there: it is possible to come by car but Anderlecht is always very busy and parking places may be hard to find near the House and are usually paying. Therefore it is highly recommended to come by train and or metro.

From the Central or South train station the Erasmus House is served by the Saint Guido station on the Erasmus metro line (line 5). The station is at a 5 minutes’ walk from the House.

If you have registered and paid for this event, let the organisers know by e-mail: André Ceulemans   andre.ceulemans6@telenet.be  ( Erasmus House) and Christine Lenneberg ( BIGH-project) christinelenneberg@gmail.com

They will arrange for more detailed instructions and guidelines in the week preceding the outing.