La Fresque des Wallons

An hour from Brussels by car, Namur is the capital of Wallonia, the French-speaking southern half of the country. As such, it maintains friendly ties with many French-speaking cities around the world. In 2001, during a visit to Quebec City (the Canadian city with which Namur is twinned), a Belgian delegation discovered the "Fresque des Québécois." That's when the idea was born to create a similar fresco in Namur, celebrating personalities and cultural elements that shaped the Walloon region.

The "Fresque des Wallons" was inaugurated in September 2004. Covering a total area of 330 square meters, it features roughly 250 figures emblematic of the region. It was created by artists from the Cité de la Création in partnership with the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Namur. The painting reproduces a false façade that matches the rest of the Hôtel de Ville on which it stands. It is populated with realistic depictions of real and fictional figures, from Charlemagne and Ernest Solvay to the Schtroumpfette and the Marsupilami.

In the lower part of the facade, several trompe-l'oeil windows feature references to a wide range of fields: literature, music, Walloon products, cinema, food, engineering, sports and more.

Faded and vandalized over the years, the fresco was renovated and updated in 2018. Visitors can now spot Belgian athlete Nafi Thiam and a sculpture by Felix Roulin.

This trompe-l'œil fresco is the fourth of its kind created by the Cité de la Création, following the “Balcones de Barcelona” (1992) in Barcelona, the “Fresque des Lyonnais” (1995) in Lyon and the “Fresque des Québécois” (1999) in Quebec City.