Painted Cobblestones of Rue Portail-d’Avignon — Théron shopkeepers, Le Puy-en-Velay
Théron shopkeepers’ association · 2018 · Rue Portail-d’Avignon, Le Puy-en-Velay
Photo as published on Street Art Utopia; photographer not named in our records. It shows the cobbles fully painted, as in Le Progrès’s photo of December 2018; the camera date is not known.
For Christmas 2018 the shopkeepers of the Théron area in Le Puy-en-Velay painted the cobblestones of rue Portail-d’Avignon in every colour, to brighten a street they themselves found dark and sad and to draw passers-by. Le Progrès reported on 16 December 2018 that passers-by were surprised by the result. Source Source Source Checked
Seen Jul 2026: the cobbles have been repainted more than once, with poppies in April 2019 and by school pupils with a new shopkeepers’ association on 2 July 2026, so the street no longer looks exactly as in our photo Source Source Checked
💡 5 things to know
- A Christmas surpriseThe shopkeepers painted the cobbles for the Christmas holidays in 2018. Le Progrès wrote that passers-by had a big surprise, and its photo caption says the painters worked for three hours. Source Source Checked
- A sad streetThe shopkeepers told Le Progrès they were taking over the space in a street they found sad and neglected by the town hall, to bring colour and get people talking; Zoomdici says the aim was to catch the eye of passers-by. Source Source Checked
- Poppies for springOn 5 April 2019 the shopkeepers were back with brushes and added poppies to the coloured cobbles. Zoomdici names the painters as Annabelle Assezat (Lez’Arts Colorés), Dany Cless, Daccord, Laëtitia D. and young Herman; Assezat said the poppy field nods to the anti-pesticide movement “Nous voulons des coquelicots”. Source Source Checked
- Art in empty shop windows firstAccording to Le Progrès, the same shopkeepers’ association had already hung artistic canvases in the empty or dirty shop windows of the area in 2016. Source Reported
- Pupils with brushes in 2026On 2 July 2026 about thirty pupils from Collège Lafayette painted the cobbles of rue Portail-d’Avignon and rue Chèvrerie with a young shopkeepers’ association chaired by Pauline Micheli; the town hall closed the street to parking that morning for the “Pavés Colorés” event. Source Source Source Checked
📍 Where it is
Rue Portail-d’Avignon in Le Puy-en-Velay, by place du Théron. Zoomdici describes it as the street that meets boulevard Maréchal Fayolle at one end and rue Chèvrerie and rue Chaussade at the other. Source Source Checked
Opens a map at rue Portail-d’Avignon (coordinates from OpenStreetMap). The painted cobbles cover the street itself.
🗓️ Sightings
- 201816 Dec
Cobbles painted in every colour · Le Progrès
- 20196 Apr
Poppies added by shopkeepers and local painters · Zoomdici
- 20197 Apr
Repainted with poppies · Le Progrès
- 202627 Jun
“Pavés Colorés” event set for 2 July · Town hall
- 20262 Jul
Pupils paint the cobbles · Zoomdici
- 20268 Jul
New association recolours the cobbles · Le Progrès
Amber stamps mark records or reports. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
Le Puy-en-Velay. Des couleurs dans la ville
“Les passants ont eu la grande surprise de voir les pavés de la rue Portail d’Avignon… peints de toutes les couleurs.”
“Passers-by had the big surprise of seeing the cobbles of rue Portail d’Avignon… painted in every colour.”
Le Puy-en-Velay : les pavés de la rue Portail-d’Avignon prennent des couleurs
“On s’approprie l’espace, dans cette rue triste que nous trouvons délaissée par la mairie”
“We are taking over the space, in this sad street that we find neglected by the town hall.” The shopkeepers’ collective.
Le Puy : une galerie d’art à ciel ouvert, et ouverte à tous !
“Ce champ de coquelicots est aussi un clin d’oeil au mouvement “Nous voulons des coquelicots””
“This poppy field is also a nod to the ‘We want poppies’ movement.” Annabelle Assezat.
Des collégiens redonnent des couleurs aux rues du Puy
“On a décidé d’apporter de la couleur pour dynamiser la ville. Les jeunes du collège Lafayette ont peint les pavés avec nous”
“We decided to bring colour to liven up the town. The young people from Collège Lafayette painted the cobbles with us.” Pauline Micheli, president of the shopkeepers’ association.
✅ The facts
- Made by
- The shopkeepers’ association of the Théron area (Association des commerçants du Théron) Source Source Checked
- First painted
- December 2018, for Christmas; reported by Le Progrès on 16 December 2018 Source Source Checked
- Why
- To brighten a street the shopkeepers found dark, sad and neglected by the town hall, and to attract passers-by and customers Source Source Checked
- 2019 painters
- Annabelle Assezat (Lez’Arts Colorés), Dany Cless, Daccord, Laëtitia D. and young Herman, according to Zoomdici Source Reported
- Recoloured
- 2 July 2026, by the shopkeepers’ association of rue Portail-d’Avignon, place du Théron and rue Chèvrerie, chaired by Pauline Micheli, with about thirty Collège Lafayette pupils Source Source Source Checked
- Title
- No official title found; “Painted Cobblestones” is our description Unconfirmed
- Our photo’s date
- Not known; it matches the fully painted state Le Progrès showed in December 2018, before the 2019 poppies Source Unconfirmed
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- Le Progrès — Le Puy-en-Velay. Des couleurs dans la ville — 16 December 2018
- Zoomdici (Stéphanie Marin) — Le Puy : une galerie d’art à ciel ouvert, et ouverte à tous ! — 6 April 2019
- Le Progrès — Le Puy-en-Velay : les pavés de la rue Portail-d’Avignon prennent des couleurs — 7 April 2019
- Mairie du Puy-en-Velay (illiwap) — parking notice for rue Portail-d’Avignon, 2 July — 27 June 2026
- Zoomdici — Des collégiens redonnent des couleurs aux rues du Puy — 2 July 2026
- Le Progrès — Portail-d’Avignon, Théron et Chèvrerie : les commerçants embellisent le quartier — 8 July 2026
- Hero image: as published on Street Art Utopia; the photographer is not named in our records. A 16:9 share image was made from it with blurred sides.
Last checked: 7 November 2026 · How we verify art