To feed 8 million Parisians is not an easy task in a Paris still fashioned of alleys, passages and mazes that had since the end of the Second World War a great desire to modernize … In the early 60s, it was therefore decided to transfer the Halles de Paris market, which had been active since the 12th century, some 10 kilometers south of the capital: new infrastructures had been created: highway networks, Orly airport (entirely redesigned by the architect Henri Vicariot) …
The last market day was held on February 27, 1969 and the stalls were definitely closed for their move to Rungis on March 1st.
The Image hub of the National Monuments Center retains in its collection photographs of what was this great market before and after the Second World War. A few years before the “move of the century” that is commemorated these days, the brothers Séeberger, Emeric Feher and Jean Sabrier were the privileged observers of the effervescence that reigned in the “Belly of Paris” as it was nicknamed by Emile Zola. Each gave a valuable, humanistic and historical testimony. For nostalgic and heritage lovers, these digitized images are now available online:
www.regards.monuments-nationaux.fr
Centre des monuments nationaux
Hôtel de Sully
62 rue St Antoine 75004 Paris
