The masterwork company Cité Création has revealed the names of two new personalities who will soon join Lyon's famous Fresque des Lyonnais mural. The selected figures are professional soccer player Wendie Renard and comedian Laurent Gerra, both chosen through a public voting process that concluded in June.
Two of the six personalities soon to be illustrated on the celebrated Fresque des Lyonnais, located on rue de la Martinière in Lyon's 1st arrondissement, have now been announced. As part of the artwork's renovation project, local residents were invited to choose six new characters to join the 36 figures already present on the mural. Following the voting period that ended in June, a list of 76 personalities, all still living, was established based on community input.
According to local media reports, Cité Création, the company overseeing the project, revealed on Monday, November 3rd, two of the most popular names among the 4,500 votes counted. Soccer star Wendie Renard and humorist Laurent Gerra emerged as the top choices from the community selection process. The announcement marks a significant step forward in the mural's planned updates.
The six new figures will ultimately be positioned on the ground floor level of the artwork. They will replace four previous personalities - renowned chef Paul Bocuse, soccer player Bernard Lacombe, writer Frédéric Dard, and television host Bernard Pivot - who will be moved to the upper level of the painting. This repositioning represents a major reorganization of the mural's layout and hierarchy.
The renovation project comes amid controversy surrounding the mural's content. The figure of Abbé Pierre was removed at the end of 2024 following accusations of rape and sexual assault against the formerly revered religious figure. This removal created space and renewed discussions about which personalities should be honored on Lyon's most famous public artwork, ultimately leading to the current community-driven selection process.
