Les Halles, Historic market in France
Les Halles was the central food market of Paris, covering several hectares in the first arrondissement. Ten cast-iron pavilions with glass roofs sheltered the selling areas for meat, poultry, butter, eggs and all kinds of food.
The market began in the 12th century when King Philip Augustus brought merchants to a central location. The cast-iron pavilions were built between 1852 and 1870, but in 1971 authorities decided to demolish them to reshape the neighborhood.
The name Belly of Paris reflected how central this market was to feeding the city with fresh produce. The endless rows of stalls selling meat, fish, vegetables and cheese shaped the neighborhood's nighttime life for centuries.
Today the site holds an underground shopping center with an aboveground park called Forum des Halles. The location sits at the heart of Paris and is easy to reach through several metro lines.
Émile Zola spent months observing the nighttime activity of the market before writing his famous novel. One pavilion was saved and rebuilt in Nogent-sur-Marne, where visitors can still see it today.
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