Fresque des Lyonnais (The Lyon Fresco), Lyon (must see)

On the Saone side of the first arrondissement, on the corner of Quai Saint Vincent and Martinière Street, stands a seven-story building. Two of the walls of the building, one measuring 800 square meters and the other 200 square meters, are covered with a massive "trompe-l'oeil," a mural called a "trick of the eye."

There are 200 meters of mural on the Saint Vincent side and 600 on the side of Martinière. The building has become a popular historical monument for visitors, showing 24 historic and six modern-day persons who have made the city what it is. The modern personalities are shown at street level "interacting" with passersby.

The massive fresco spans 2,000 years of Lyonnais history, from Emperor Claudius of Ancient Rome to L'abbe Pierre, founder of the anti-poverty movement Emmaus and French Resistance fighter, and Bernard Lacombe, who had scored 255 goals in football by 1987. Paul Bocuse, Michelin star master chef, stands in the doorway of an illusionary cafe.

Giovanni de Verrazzo is there. While in the service of Francois I, he discovered New York City before it was anything. Antoine de Saint Exupery and his Little Prince share a balcony. Edouard Herriot, mayor of Lyon for 50 years, smokes his pipe. Auguste and Louis Lumiere show their "cinematograph" the first motion-picture camera.

Many more figures are looking out of windows and taking to their balconies for the open air. The mural was created in 1995 by the artist cooperative, CiteCreation. The object was the revitalization of this heavily trafficked waterfront district. CiteCreation created a similar "balcony" mural in Barcelona, Spain.

The best time to study the mural is early on a sunny day. The light is best between 10 and 11 am. The neighborhood is filled with wall paintings. Of course, none are on the level with The Lyon Fresco.