Tromp l'oeil in Montpellier: things aren't always what they seem!

Just a ways down the main street from us we came upon this remarkable sight, a building that was not really all we thought it was:

These are two real buildings, both with flat fronts, and no windows (I think; hard to tell!)
But the passers-by are real, for sure!

Here's a detail from the lower level.

As we began to look around we found several more examples of this kind of work. While some of these are done by the same artist, there are a number of artists in the region who like to engage in this kind of challenge.

The height of this building made it particularly difficult, but this kind of artistry presents other challenges, as well.

How about this one, across from the St. Roch Church (St. Roch is the patron saint, the founder, actually, of Montpellier; his likeness is found on the red banner hanging from the large windows).

We counted seven real windows; how many can you find?

Particularly appealing are the many details, unnoticed with just a quick glance.

It's a real café, with a real door. But the red-painted wood façade? As real as the flower pot in the window above it!

 

A very nice touch, this: the church across the square "reflected" in the false glass.

A tourist take photos while the young resident looks down

And this old fellow, in on the joke, winks his eye at the whole affair. (Note the scallop shells, the symbol of St James, and long popular with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle's shrine at Santiago de Compostela. A part of this popular pilgrimage trail passes through Montpellier, and those streets are specially marked with brass scallops.)

And finally, this pleasant café, shaded in the heat of the day, overlooked by balconies on the adjacent building. Are they real, or are they... ?

Next up: We take the TGV to Paris, for the OuiShare Festival