Anderlecht Béguinage, Brussels
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The Anderlecht Béguinage in Brussels is the former home of the Béguines, who were Catholic lay sisters and mostly widows of Crusaders.
The Beguinage consists of a collection of small houses, built between 1252 and the 17th century, grouped around a garden. It was the smallest beguinage in Belgium, where only eight Beguines lived.
The Beguinage is now open to the public, sharing a common administrative office with the Erasmus House. The Beguinage Museum was set up in 1930.
What to See
The Beguinage Museum consists of two houses (one 16th-century, the other 18th-century) which are built around a pleasant inner courtyard. From here there is a fine view of the nearby Church of St. Guidon, built in the 16th century.
The museum's collection includes objects of archaeological interest, religious art and a local history collection which documents a thousand years of Anderlecht history.
Quick Facts
| Address: | Rue du Chapître 8, Brussels, Belgium |
| Phone: | 02 521 13 83 |
| Hours: | Tues-Sun 10-5 |
| Cost: | €1.25 (includes admission to Erasmus House) |
Sources
- Fodor's Belgium, 3rd ed.
- Official Website of the Erasmus House
