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In the heart of the battlefield, a Flemish neo-Gothic building stands out. Since its construction in 1928, the Dominican Sisters of Fichermont have dedicated themselves to welcoming refugees.
It was in this convent that Sister Gabrielle became « Sœur Sourire » (« The Singing Nun »), the singer-songwriter behind the smash hit « Dominique ». Her song was a worldwide success, reaching #1 on the US Billboard charts in 1963. The Dominican convent had a hard time recovering the calm it needed after this media uproar.
Occupied by the « Verbe de Vie » community between 1996 and 2017, the convent is now home to the prestigious Musica Mundi music school. The school’s students, musical prodigies aged between 10 and 18, come from all over the world to receive excellent musical training. Coming from diverse cultures and social backgrounds, without distinction of color, sex or religion, they are all united around music, perfectly symbolizing unity in diversity and embodying values of peace and solidarity.
