Fresco of the Lyonnais

Huge illusion painting on the wall of a house representing 30 known Lyonnais.
The artwork on the facade was created by the CitéCréation group in 1994/95. Due to the great success of a similar work carried out by this group in Barcelona (on the occasion of the 1992 Summer Olympics), the mayor of Lyon at the time commissioned the group to create the "Fresques des Lyonnais ".

The mural called the Fresque des Lyonnais is located in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon between the Saône, the Place des Terreaux and the Hôtel de ville de Lyon. It occupies exactly 800 m2 of the façade and façade of a six-storey building on the corner of 49 Quai Saint Vincent and 2 rue de la Martinière.

Produced by the CitéCréation cooperative between 1994 and 1995, the Fresque des Lyonnais is a representation of historical and contemporary Lyonnais figures whose names are engraved on each floor. The 24 historical characters and six contemporary characters of the Fresque des Lyonnais bear witness to more than two centuries of the city's history.

The Fresque des Lyonnais is one of the most famous painted walls in the city of Lyon. It can be considered artistically as a realistic work that depicts the culture of the city, its neighborhoods and its inhabitants. This fresco especially comes to life on the occasion of the light festival. The 30 faces painted on the fresco of the inhabitants of Lyon are characters who have marked the history of the city from an artistic, scientific or even cultural point of view... On the other hand, passers-by and residents of the district have also chosen to appear in the fresco.

The 24 historical characters depicted in the Lyonnais fresco are arranged chronologically according to the floors. There are great political figures such as Emperor Claude, Edouard Herriot and Major General Claude Martin. Characters related to the religious history of the city, such as Abbé Pierre, Sainte Irénée, Sainte Blandine or Antoine de Saint Exupéry, also appear in the fresco. And big names in culture and science from Lyon such as Paul Bocuse, Bertrand Tavernier, the Lumières brothers or André Marie Ampère have also taken their place. The six contemporary characters represented are Paul Bocuse, L'Abbé Pierre, Bernard Pivot, Bernard Lacombe, Frédéric Dard and Bertrand Tavernier.

Source: toolyon.com/visiter/murs-peints/fresque-des-lyonnais

Amazing! Not far from the banks of the Rhone, if you walk along the Quai Saint-Vencent, it is only a very short detour into the Rue de la Martiniere, but it is definitely worth it.