| Beguinage of Anderlecht | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Beguinage of Anderlecht seen from theRue du Chapelain/Kapelaansstraat | |
 Interactive map of the Beguinage of Anderlecht area | |
| Alternative names | Klaphuis |
| General information | |
| Type | Beguinage |
| Location | Rue du Chapelain /Kapelaansstraat 8, 1070Anderlecht, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°50′13″N4°18′22″E / 50.83694°N 4.30611°E /50.83694; 4.30611 |
| Construction started | 13th century |
| Renovated | 2020–21 |
| Closed | Deconsecrated in 1798 |
| Owner | Municipality of Anderlecht |
| Designations | Protected (25/10/1938) |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access |  5Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido |
| Website | |
| www | |
| References | |
| [1] | |
TheBeguinage of Anderlecht[2] (French:Béguinage d'Anderlecht;Dutch:Begijnhof van Anderlecht), also known as theKlaphuis, is a historicbeguinage inAnderlecht, a municipality ofBrussels, Belgium. Founded in the 13th century and of modest size, it housed only eightbeguines from the end of the 15th century. It was suppressed during theFrench Revolution and abolished in 1798. Since 1930, the site has served as a museum dedicated to religious community life and local history. The complex was designated ahistoric monument in 1938.[3]
The beguinage stands next to the 14th-centuryCollegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido, aGothic church dedicated to SaintGuy of Anderlecht, who was buried there in the 11th century, as well as theErasmus House, a late Gothic or earlyRenaissance style house where the Dutchhumanist writer andtheologianErasmus of Rotterdam stayed in 1521.[4][5] Both institutions are now managed jointly as theErasmus House & Beguinage Museums (French:Musées Maison d'Erasme & Béguinage; Dutch:Erasmushuis & Begijnhofmusea).[6] This area is served bySaint-Guidon/Sint-Guido metro station online 5 of theBrussels Metro.
Thebeguinage was first mentioned in June 1252,[7][8] when Guillaume,dean of thechapter ofSt. Peter and St. Guido in Anderlecht, acting on behalf ofthe church, endowed a local community ofbeguines (Latin:humili Conventui begginarum de Anderlecht) with a plot of land, half sold and half leased. This land, gradually forming the current complex, lay north of thecollegiate church, along the southern slope of the Broeck valley, between the churchyard and the stream's banks. The charter suggests that this was not a strict foundation, but rather a formalisation of an existing, informal beguine community placed under the chapter's supervision, shortly after the foundation of a beguinage in Brussels in March 1250. The act also specified that the land included a former house and that the chapter's protection would extend to future houses the beguines would establish there.[8]
The Anderlecht community was led by a Great Lady. Although the beguines did not takeperpetual vows, they observedchastity and obedience, allowing them to live in relative freedom while actively participating in religious life. They were valued for caring for the sick, accompanying the dying, and teaching poor children.[5] As tensions arose between certain beguinages and ecclesiastical authorities over autonomy, in 1311, it was decided that theBrabant beguines would be placed under direct papal supervision, confirmed by PopeJohn XXII in 1318.[4][5] Archaeological evidence from a 1996 survey in the garden of the neighbouringpresbytery uncovered abundant ceramic material dating roughly to the 14th–15th centuries, providing some insight into the material life of the community.[8]
The first preservedstatutes of the beguinage date to 1611, likely replacing or partially continuing earlier medieval regulations. They stipulated that eight women of "respectable" age and conduct could reside there, electing a superior or mistress with the chapter's approval. Residents paid a modest admission fee, were required to live on-site, attend mass, and participate inmatins on Sundays and feast days. The statutes also regulated dress andspiritual discipline, including prayers for benefactors, and assigned each woman a small kitchen garden.[8] The beguines mainly served the chapter andparish, maintaining liturgicalvestments andaltar fabrics, acting as domestic assistants tocanons orclerics, producinglace, and tending the sick or teaching.[9][8] In the 1780s, Isabelle de Wit, one of the beguines, began teaching poor girls in Anderlecht, but faced resistance from the local schoolmaster; after years of legal proceedings, she was ultimately vindicated.[9]
TheFrench Revolution brought an end to the institution in 1794, and it was formally suppressed in 1798,[9] with its property confiscated and transferred to the municipal charity office. Nevertheless, the site continued to function as a local charity office and accommodation forindigent women.[10][9] In 1930, a museum was established to present the beguines' daily lives and the history of Anderlecht. The beguinage was classified as ahistoric monument on 25 October 1938.[3] Over the years, the museum underwent several closures and restorations, most recently in 2020–21, and is scheduled to reopen in 2025 with updated exhibitions.[4][5]
The beguinage originally consisted of two houses arranged around a walled courtyard, located north of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido. The complex frames a courtyard that opens onto theRue du Chapelain/Kapelaansstraat to the south and is enclosed to the north by a boundary wall with an entranceporch. The current slope of the Rue du Chapelain results from 19th-century excavation work; historically, the old path was likely at a level similar to that of the courtyard, allowing direct access to the church from the south. The site is bordered to the west by gardens, now attached to the neighbouring building, and to the north and east by land belonging to theBibliothèque de l'Espace Maurice Carême French-language public library.[5][8]
The general appearance of the buildings is "traditional", reflecting the combined use of brick and stone. The west wing retains significant remains of atimber-framed house constructed between the 1430s and 1460s and enlarged around 1510–1514, while the east wing, sometimes called the "House of the Great Lady", was largely rebuilt in 1720–21. A smaller east building was added in the mid-18th century. Unlike largerFlemish urban beguinages, Anderlecht's enclosure is modest in scale but historically significant within the local community.[5][8]
The interior of the west wing preserves elements of the originalhalf-timbered structure, includingroof trusses, thegable, and several partitions. Archaeological anddendrochronological studies conducted between 2010 and 2011 identified the timber species and condition, providing insight into 15th- and 16th-century construction methods and the forest cover of the Brussels region at the time. Laboratory analyses ofcob and roofing materials further clarified the composition and manufacturing techniques used.[8]
Despite extensive restoration in the 1970s, which removed some historical features without detailed documentation, the site still retains significant structural information. Observations reveal developments spanning from the 15th to the 17th centuries in the west building, with later alterations accompanying the construction of the east wing at the end of the 17th century. These features, alongside the archaeological findings, make the Anderlecht Beguinage an important example of a modest, small-scale beguinage in contrast to the large urban enclosures more commonly associated withWorld Heritage status.[8]
Media related toBeguinage of Anderlecht at Wikimedia Commons
