On one of the facades of the Caquot hangar, César Malfi brings back to life some 2000 years of Fréjusian history. A giant fresco rich in illustrious characters!
It was in 1935 that Albert-Caquot, inventor of the "double canopy" hangars made of reinforced concrete, built the vast building on the site of the Fréjus Nature Base, which, at the time of the naval aviation, served as a garage for aircraft. An imposing structure of some 120 meters long by 60 m wide and 9 m high. And this for a total surface area of approximately 10,000 m² including annexes.
For a few days now, César Malfi, an urban artist from Nice, has been taking out his multicoloured spray cans and paint rollers to create a giant fresco on one of the facades of the Caquot hangar. A work of breathtaking dimensions that will thus spread over a surface area of 120 metres long and 12 metres high. One of the largest frescoes in France, already named "Fréjus l'intrépide".
A work that, facing the sea, will revisit the glorious past of the Roman city. That is, more than 2,000 years of history transcribed through illustrious names linked to the city of Fréjus.
“Fréjus the intrepid”, an example of resilience
"I was very interested in the history of the city. From the Roman period to the Malpassset disaster, Fréjus has always known how to rebuild itself. Throughout its history, this city has shown resilience. Hence the name given to this fresco "Fréjus the intrepid", explains the artist from Nice before revealing the main points of this life-size work which will require no less than some 200 liters of paint. This work is in a way a meeting point with history while integrating a projection onto the future. Thus on this blue background specific to the Mediterranean will be represented a succession of characters who, at one time or another, were linked to the Roman city. This goes from Julius Caesar to Napoleon via Jean Cocteau and many others..."
Since March 4, César Malfi has donned his overalls to carry out this artistic work which, incidentally, does not fail to arouse the greatest curiosity of walkers at the nature base.
Inauguration on May 24…
"We initially gave ourselves two months to cover the entire surface area, but I think we'll finish it all well before then. To be completely honest, the inauguration should be scheduled for May 24th." An opportunity to feast your eyes and reacquaint yourself with the great history of Fréjus...