Discovering street art in the Ile-de-France district of Laon - Part 3

The origin of its name probably comes from the distortion of the original term ‘the lot of the dead’ (because it is located at sunset, to the west). A mill stood on this eminence until 1870, when it was replaced by this military structure. It was used as an optical observation post to communicate with the four surrounding Séré de Rivières forts (Bruyères, Montbérault, Laniscourt and Chavignon) via a heliostat. Note that if you climb to the top of the fort, you will have an uninterrupted view of the south and west of the Laonnois, and its surroundings are equipped with children's play areas...

This lovely, well-shaded, south-east-facing climb will take you from the eponymous battery to the German military cemetery at Bousson in just a few minutes. Be careful, though, as although the path is very clear, it can be quite steep in places and slippery if it has rained recently...

This cemetery was created by the Germans in 1917, when they occupied the Aisne capital. It mainly contains soldiers who fell in the Chemin des Dames theatre of operations in 1917 and 1918 (2,653 men are buried here). It should be noted that a stone element from a previous military cemetery located on the Saint-Vincent plateau during the war (in the upper town) has been deposited here and has now disappeared. The Bousson cemetery is now surrounded by housing in the new ZAC Ile-de-France development zone.

BEBAR was born in 1993. And why this name? As he himself says, he grew a beard at a very young age, given his Franco-Spanish origins. It was at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and then at the Parsons School in New York that he learned the academic techniques that would combine with his taste for street art. He expresses himself in various forms, including illustration, sculpture and tattooing, and exhibits his work in art galleries and on the streets of the cities that inspire him (whether Paris, New York, Rio or Havana). Her inspiration comes from the world of cartoons, and she offers a colourful universe!

With these two brothers, it's impossible not to succumb to their palette of colours and positive messages, in an old-fashioned style reminiscent of the 1950s... So, La vie est belle ?

Born in Reims in 1988, Céz Art is a muralist and visual artist whose universe, somewhere between urban art and pop culture, is characterised by a colourful and optimistic signature. Based between Reims and Paris, for over a decade he has been offering an artistic vision that he describes as “pop-modern”, with stylised animals and references to nature. Commenting on the double wall of the Ile-de-France school painted for the 2023 edition of the Laon International Urban Arts Festival, he said: "I wanted to highlight biodiversity and the local natural heritage through these two frescoes painted on the façades of the Ile-de-France school.In the hope of raising awareness among pupils and passers-by of the importance of preserving nature...".

This is the name of the vast depression squeezed between the two bars of the upper town of Laon, whose origins date back to the geological period of the Quaternary, when the cycle of glaciations and erosion shaped this ‘gash ’* in the hillock of Laon. Today, at the bottom of the basin, you'll find yourself in the heart of the town, but in a rural, landscaped setting. In the past, the slopes of the hill were largely occupied by vines. In the Middle Ages, Laon wine was renowned and even served at the coronation of the Kings of France in Reims (and sold to the rich princes and dukes of Flanders, as far afield as England and the Empire)...By the early 11th century, ‘le Clos Saint-Rémi’ and the vineyard of ‘La Goutte d'Or’ were already well known... After that, the vineyard was replaced by gardens and orchards, and it's safe to say that this renowned vineyard disappeared completely during the 18th and 19th centuries. In recent years, these gardens themselves have been gradually abandoned and replaced by shrubbery and farmland (cereals, sugar beet) at the bottom of the vat. Welcome to our park in the heart of the town, where you can take a stroll along the famous Froids-Culs path up the slopes!