Cholera was the great pandemic of the 19th century, with several waves throughout the period. In Belgium, the epidemic of 1866 is the deadliest and one of the best documented. This presentation will introduce the source. It will also highlight the rural specificities of an epidemic that is often presented as essentially urban. The presentation has three objectives: 1. To present the source: the nominative record of people infected with cholera. 2. To analyze how the disease spread in rural areas. How does the epidemic spread? Which areas are most affected? 3. Sketch the socio-demographic profile of cholera victims. Does it correspond to that observed elsewhere, notably in other regions of the country, and in other areas of residence, especially urban? Are there any differences between the profiles of those who recovered and those who died?