Umbrella spectacular in Franche-Comté

700 multicoloured umbrellas were hung on July 11 in the town’s main thoroughfare.

Michel Mercet, a local shopkeeper, came up with the idea. "I saw photos online of umbrellas hung up, and said to myself, why not do it here in Vesoul", he said. He then put the idea forward to the local authorities.

“This is the first town in Franche-Comté to put in place such an installation,” said the mayor’s assistant Marie-Dominique Aubry.

The installation is similar to those put in place in Avignon, Metz and Toulouse, and such sights are commonplace in Spain and Portugal.

For the past several years, hundreds of umbrellas have been hung in the Portuguese town of Águeda during the month of July.

None of the umbrellas are visibly marked, but at the two ends of the avenue there are around 20 umbrellas donated by the German town of Gerlingen, twinned with Vesoul for over 50 years.