Émile Verhaeren, the poet of Honnelles

It was somewhat by chance that Émile Verhaeren discovered Roisin. While visiting a friend who was resting at Léon Laurent’s inn after the death of her husband, he discovered the landscapes of Roisin, Caillou-qui-Bique, and Angreau, and literally fell in love with the area. From 1899 to 1914, he stayed many times at Léon Laurent’s inn. Over time, he would even call it "my home."

"Verhaeren walked through the woods, but also through the vast plains," explains René Legrand, President of the ASBL Mémoire d’Émile Verhaeren and guide at the Verhaeren Museum. "He talked to the trees, the plants, the branches, the birds... He was called the fool of the woods. Contrary to what one might think, he did not live in seclusion in the village; he visited the farmers, the clog makers, and did not hesitate to talk to the locals. He forever marked the history of Roisin," the guide says, visibly moved.