Halle Puget, Market hall in central Marseille, France

Halle Puget is a market hall near the Porte d'Aix, built as a temple-like structure: a rectangular plan on tall square-section stone columns with moulded capitals, carrying a pale stone entablature and a low-pitched roof of reddish-brown curved tiles. Dark wooden trusses show between the upper beams, and several outer bays stand open above low stone plinths.

Built in 1672 by master mason Pierre Puget, namesake of the sculptor, the hall replaced the fish market on Place Vivaux, which had grown too small after the city's expansion. It housed the fish and meat markets in the 17th century, became a chapel in 1887 and a police station from 1925 to 1980, when it was walled up and its columns embedded. Restoration in 1987 returned its original appearance.

The name honours master mason Pierre Puget, who built the hall in 1672 and is often confused with the sculptor of the same name. In 1935 archivist Joseph Billioud showed that most buildings attributed to the sculptor were not his, leaving the Halle Puget as a rare surviving work of the mason.

The market is located in the Belsunce district and is easily accessible on foot from central Marseille. Arrive in the morning for the best selection and a less crowded experience.

The hall is often credited to the sculptor Pierre Puget, but it was built by a master mason of the same name. In 1935 archivist Joseph Billioud showed that most buildings attributed to the sculptor were not his, leaving the Chapelle de l'Hospice de la Charité as the only standing witness to his architecture.