The painted wall of the Cour des Loges is one of the most elegant trompe-l'œil murals in Old Lyon. Located on the Quai de Bondy, facing the Saône River, this monumental fresco depicts a vast theatrical set whose curtain rises to reveal the imagined interior of the former Renaissance mansion of the Cour des Loges. Created in 1988, it is part of the heritage of Lyon's famous painted walls, which have transformed the city into a veritable open-air urban museum.
A theatrical trompe-l'œil set
The mural covers approximately 400 square meters and was created on a waterproof canvas stretched across the facade. The artwork gives the illusion that a huge stage curtain is being lifted to reveal:
- Renaissance galleries; ;
- scaffolding; ;
- courtyards; ;
- old windows; ;
- typical architecture of Old Lyon.
The perspective work is particularly impressive. Many visitors initially think they are looking at a real construction site or a real architectural structure before realizing that it is a monumental trompe-l'œil.
History and creation
The painted mural was created by the company Mur'Art in the late 1980s as part of the development of urban murals in Lyon. The artwork is directly linked to the prestigious Hôtel de la Cour des Loges, one of the iconic establishments of Renaissance Old Lyon.
The Cour des Loges itself consists of several Renaissance buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries that belonged to Italian merchants, printers and bankers who settled in Lyon during the golden age of Lyon's trade fairs.
Atmosphere and experience
The place has a very particular atmosphere:
- historic quays of the Saône; ;
- Renaissance facades; ;
- small paved squares; ;
- plays of light on the old walls.
The wall is particularly photogenic:
- from the Bondy dock; ;
- from the terrace of the Rocambol; ;
- at sunset; ;
- during the Festival of Lights.
The proximity of the Nardone glacier, the quays and the traboules of Old Lyon also enhances the attractiveness of the area for walkers.
A more discreet but iconic wall
Unlike the Fresco of the People of Lyon or the Canuts Wall, the painted wall of the Cour des Loges remains more secluded and is often discovered "by surprise" during a stroll through Old Lyon. This discretion is precisely what contributes to its charm and its almost cinematic quality.
