Halles de Cordes-sur-Ciel, Medieval market hall in Cordes-sur-Ciel, France.
Halles de Cordes-sur-Ciel is a medieval marketplace covered with a roof supported by twenty-four octagonal stone pillars arranged in a circular pattern. A wooden frame beneath the curved terracotta tiles completes the structure, leaving the sides open for merchants and shoppers to move freely.
The marketplace was built in 1276 after merchants received permission to hold annual celebrations in the mid-13th century. This covered structure became one of the earliest of its kind and helped establish the town as a regional trading center.
This marketplace served as the commercial heart of the medieval town, where traders displayed goods and townspeople gathered for daily business. The structure itself reveals how trading was organized and how central this space was to community life.
The marketplace is located at the intersection of Raymond VII street and Saint-Michel street, reached by stairs due to ground level changes. Good walking shoes are helpful, as access can be uneven and requires navigating the surrounding cobbled streets.
A 114-meter deep well lies hidden beneath the marketplace, built to supply water and provide storage for the medieval community. This underground engineering marvel was revealed during archaeological investigations of the hall's foundation.
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