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Well before being a car park, the site belonged to the former Collège des Oratoriens, an important collection of Louis XIV-style buildings, built between the end of the 17th century and the end of the18th century. While the open space allows us to discover the impressive inner courtyard of what is now a high school, it has also retained a small octagonal pavilion dating from the 18th century.
The place is ideal to pay tribute to this magnificent viewpoint over the Sambre valley, which creates the harmony of the Thudinie landscape. A harmony of views that certainly inspired the artist after whom this car park is named, since he was born and grew up not far from here: Benoit Constant Fauconnier.
A famous musician in the 19th century, he was an accompanist at court concerts and for singing classes at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique, organist at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, attaché to the Maison de Chimay and made his career in Paris. Benoit Constant Fauconnier would never forget his roots in Thudinie. After a brilliant career, he returned to Thuin to take up the more modest position of organist at Ville Basse Church and director of the local wind band. He spent his final years here in peace.
Today, he would have certainly enjoyed strolling in a place that isn’t limited to the concrete aridness of a car park: a place for our youth to meet and take a stroll, it offers their dreams an exceptional view and a boundless horizon.
