The Walloons’ Mural

Well, well, there’s quite a crowd at the windows of this building. What’s going on? Lifelike and full of detail, all these figures together form the famous Walloon Fresco. When the new city hall was built in the 1980s, a blank 330-square-meter wall with three large ventilation chimneys spoiled the view. Inspired by the artistic success of the Quebec and Lyon Frescoes, a local Namur committee was convinced that a similar project would brighten this otherwise dull wall. Good news—the idea was approved by the city. Unsurprisingly, the artists from Cité de la Création, creators of those mural masterpieces, were commissioned to make this new fresco—this time, proudly Belgian. After five months of work and much curiosity, the huge mural was unveiled on September 18, 2004, during the Walloon Festival. In total, 250 Walloon figures or references are proudly represented here. At the bottom, you’ll spot local athlete Nafissatou Thiam, flanked on her right by two Namur stilt walkers. On either side of the chimneys are the Bold Rooster from the official Walloon flag, the beloved fictional Belgian creature Marsupilami, and the shadow of a “macrale”—a witch from Walloon folklore. Looking even higher, on the third floor, you’ll find Dominique Pire, the Belgian priest who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1958, alongside a beautiful stained glass window featuring the outlines of Charlemagne. Even today, this trompe-l'œil continues to grow, becoming an increasingly symbolic witness to the region’s history.