We can already imagine the joy of the mayors of the municipalities concerned when they receive their trophy. Like every year, Landscapes of France has just revealed its prize list of the Prix de la France Moche. “This is not a ranking of the ugliest cities,” specifies the association, which fights against visual pollution. But here are four places in France, in four communes of France, which, for us, represent a bit of ugly France. »
To establish its ranking, Paysages de France was able to count on its members who photographed a place that they found ugly in their environment. And there was still a lot of ugliness this year, like the Pré-Doué shopping area in Chavelot in the Vosges, awarded in the “Locked with brands, and without concessions” category. » “We border on excess with these banners to be banned. »
It also catches the eye in Honfleur (Calvados), whose entrance to the town hands down wins the prize in the “Sign Fair” category. » “Tarpaulins, panels, banners, totems, flags, make your choice, all the brands on sale”, quips Paysages de France.
A big advert that disfigures the Place des Vosges in Paris
A little further west, on the Brittany side, the town of Carnac (Morbihan) is also pinned this year. Not for its alignments of menhirs, which make it famous, but for this hideous alignment of road markers on the Ménec site. “A beautiful, very rectilinear alignment, with perfectly identical menhirs, without any vegetation to hide them,” specifies the association.
Celebrated around the world for its beauty, Paris is also in the spotlight this year in the Ugly France list. The object of the crime is on Place des Vosges with a huge advertising poster which disfigures the place. “It’s a shame that here, the view of the pub is spoiled by a tree,” specifies the association, which awarded the “city of lights” the prize in the “Heritage enhancement” category. »
In 2022, Paysages de France crowned the municipalities of Moussac (Gard), Villard-de-Lans (Isère), Aubières (Puy-de-Dôme) and Saint-Paul (Reunion). “We can bet that these 2023 prices will continue to open the eyes of those who seem to turn a blind eye in the name of progress and modernity in the face of sprawling commercial zones, streets saturated with advertising panels or galloping concrete construction,” underlines the association, which intends to continue the fight “so as not to get used to ugliness. »