Architecture in Anderlecht

Anderlecht, a vast and ancient territory

Anderlecht is one of the largest communes in the Brussels-Capital Region. Rather than giving you a general overview of the commune's architecture, this itinerary will focus on its historic centre, inviting you to discover what the distant past built. Do you love narrow cobbled streets, mediaeval buildings and the atmosphere of yesteryear? You will adore this tour, which demonstrates how Anderlecht's history goes way back to the 11th century. Are you ready to follow in the footsteps of its canons and humanism?

Bâtiment ancien du centre d'Anderlecht avec nature à l'avant plan

First stop: the superb Collegiate Church of Saint Peter and Saint Guido. Rather like the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in the centre, this church was originally a Romanesque sanctuary built in the late 11th century in honour of Saint Guido and to house his relics. The Gothic structure was built between the second half of the 14th century and the first half of the 16th century, retaining some of its Romanesque elements. The different shades of white stone relate to the different phases of construction and restoration. Did you know that the tower's spire is a 19th-century neo-Gothic addition? (place de la Vaillance)

A stone's throw away, on the same square, you will find the building known as the former Vandenpeereboom estate. An 18th-century entrance porch conceals a vast and unusual house, designed by architect Malfait in 1890 for former minister Jules Vandenpeereboom. The minister wanted a 16th-century-style house to live in and house his antique collections. The site is now home to an academy, so don't hesitate to step inside and take a look at the (false) year inscribed with metal anchors, the mullioned windows, the brick-and-stone combination, the turret and more. Welcome to the 16th century! (17 place de la Vaillance)

Take a gentle stroll down rue Porselein, which offers a picturesque immersion in Anderlecht's past.

The old beguinage is not far, just on the other side of the church. The Beguine community was founded in Anderlecht in the 13th century. Considered Belgium's smallest beguinage, it is now formed of two white-painted buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Organised around a central courtyard and a well, the site is extremely picturesque and now houses a museum of everyday life at the time (8 rue du Chapelain)

Erasmus House is a site that deserves its reputation! This superb 16th-century Gothic house was in fact home to the humanist Erasmus for just a few months in 1521, a period he used to work on a new edition of the New Testament. The brick building features a roof with bristle-like stepped dormer windows, a harbinger of the Flemish Renaissance. (31 rue de Formanoir)

On to another square to finish off this short tour of the streets of Anderlecht. The Justice of the Peace building is located here and is rather beautifully constructed. Built in 1898 in response to a petition from residents who had become jealous of the public buildings being erected in other parts of the town, it brilliantly adopted the Flemish Renaissance Revival style. The main facade is symmetrical and the building uses local materials, namely brick and bluestone (3 place de la Résistance).