Maison d'Erasme (Erasmus House), Brussels
Portrait of Erasmus in 1523 by Hans Holbien the Younger.
In the middle of a commonplace neighborhood in the Anderlecht neighborhood of Brussels stands the interesting redbrick Erasmus House, the former home of the humanist reformer Erasmus of Rotterdam.
History
In the Middle Ages, Anderlecht was a small village of 300 inhabitants and around the Collegial Church of St. Guidon were a number of important houses in which the canons lived.
Erasmus stayed in one of these houses in 1521; it was the home of his friend Pieter Wychman who was entrusted with teaching in the Chapter. Erasmus wrote to Guillaume Budé to say that he had followed his advice and had come to Anderlecht as he wanted to play at being a farmer.
Views of Erasmus' House in Brussels. Photos © Erasmus House.
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush visits the Erasmus House in February 2005.
Erasmus did not actually stay here very long, but he made a big impression: as early as the 17th century pilgrims visited the house ‘where the great Erasmus had lived’. Today the "Erasmus House" shelters both a museum and a study center with early manuscripts of Erasmus' works.
What to See
The Erasmus House has been restored to the way it looked in 1521, the year the great humanist came to Brussels for the fresh air. First editions of In Praise of Folly, and many early prints of other books by Erasmus can be inspected here, and are used by Erasmus scholars. There are some extraordinary works of art, including prints by Albrecht Dürer and oils by Holbein and Hieronymus Bosch.
A moderate by nature, Erasmus never joined the Protestant movement. Nevertheless, he was out of tune with the ecclesiastical authorities of his day, and some of the pages on view show where the censors stepped in to protect the faithful. His works were influential on other reformers, including Luther and Calvin.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Maison d'Erasme; Erasmushuis; Erasmus House |
| Address: | Rue du Chapître 31, Brussels, Belgium |
| Phone: | 02/521-1383 |
| Website: | www.erasmushouse.museum |
| Hours: | Wed. and Thurs. and Sat.-Mon. 10-noon and 2-5 |
| Cost: | €1.25 |
Map
Location map and satellite view of the Erasmus House. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Brussels Map or get our Google Earth download.
Sources
- Fodor's Belgium, 3rd ed.
- Official Website of the Erasmus House
