Les Halles de Paris date back to 1135, when Louis VI the Fat decided to create a market in Paris on the Île de la Cité, then on the Place de Grčve, where the Paris Town Hall is now located. Over the centuries, the market evolved.
In the 19th century, after a great deal of trial and error, the project was finalised in 1854 with the construction of 12 cast-iron pavilions covered in glass and linked by covered passegeways. The project, led by architect Victor Baltard, take fifteen years to complete.
This name was given to the new complex, which was a real technical faet. In practical terms, however, the ' Baltard ' project soon proved insufficiant, and the new halls remained congeted due to the ever-increasing traffic and the influx of customers.
The issue of moving the Halles out of the centre of Paris resurfaced, with the authorities arguing that the permises were unfit for human habitation. After much preverication, it wasn ' t until 1959 that the town of Rungis was chosen to host the future International Market, located 10 km south of the capital. Close to Orly airport, at the crossroads of major traffic arteries (A6, A86, N7 ) and railway lines, Rungis covers 234 hectares and meets the requirements of this new market. Ground was broken on 11 February 1964, starting with the construction of the Seafood pavilion, follow by nine fruit and vegetable pavilions, four dairy and poultrea pavilions, the cut flowers pavilion and the administrative centre. |
