Les Halles: The Belly of Paris

No discussion of French market history can ignore Les Halles, Paris's central market that fed the capital for over 800 years. Established by King Philippe Auguste in 1183, Les Halles grew from an open-air market into a sprawling complex that Émile Zola famously called "the belly of Paris."

The original market's ten covered pavilions, built by Victor Baltard in the 1850s, represented a revolution in market architecture. Their iron and glass construction allowed light to flood the stalls while protecting goods from weather—a design that influenced market halls across Europe. For generations, Les Halles operated on a nocturnal schedule. Produce arrived by cart and later by truck in the small hours, creating a parallel universe where day was night and night was day.

The market's denizens developed their own culture, complete with specialized vocabulary, traditional costumes, and legendary characters. The "Forts des Halles"—the market porters—became folk heroes, renowned for their strength and distinctive wide-brimmed hats. Their dawn breakfast of onion soup and red wine at nearby bistros established a culinary tradition that persists in Parisian restaurants today.

When Les Halles relocated to Rungis in 1971, Paris lost more than a market—it lost a way of life. The move, driven by traffic congestion and modernization needs, marked the end of an era. Yet the spirit of Les Halles lives on in neighborhood markets throughout Paris, where vendors maintain traditions learned from parents and grandparents who worked the great central market.