Shuttle Beaubourg and Les Halles in Paris to Paris airports

History and visit Beaubourg and Les Halles in Paris

Located in the heart of Paris, Les Halles are  a large complex built on the Boulevard de Sebastopol, in the 1st district. It replaces a large market of the seventy years of wholesale fresh food. Les Halles currently include a green space of more than four acres, called the Jardin des Halles, a large underground shopping mall which is the Forum des Halles and various recreational areas such as twenty cinemas, swimming pool … Below complex stands the RER Chatelet-Les Halles, the largest underground station in the world train. It allows you to reach all areas of the Ile de France region.

The history of the Halles de Paris began in the twelfth century. In 1137, King Louis VI was transferred two markets in a place called Les Champeaux, located in the center of Paris. Some time later, he ordered the construction of a large hall at this location. In 1183, Philip Augustus was the acquisition of the Fair St. Lazare and transferred to the location of the Grand Central Market. By being freed from a tax to the Bishop of Paris, he became owner of the land where stood the great hall. Apart from the essential commodities, the market spread on trade in textiles, footwear, haberdashery … The number of merchants increased considerably to the point that some stalls occupied the adjacent streets. Philippe Auguste in effect launched the construction of the first hall, to house the weavers and clothiers. In the thirteenth century, three new halls were built by St. Louis.

During the sixteenth century, Francis I ordered the rebuilding of Les Halles. He decided to auction off the empty seats of the hall by a decree of 20 September 1543. Renouncing the right of redemption, he forced buyers to demolish the buildings that were present and replaced by houses and mansions convenient. Covered galleries with arcades were thus built up in 1572, among which stood a market of bread, eggs, butter and forming. Called the pillars of the Halles, they were destroyed during the construction of Baltard pavilions. In 1763, Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières had built the Corn Exchange. Between 1780 and 1789, the area of ​​Les Halles doubled by the construction of the cemetery of the Innocents marketing of flowers, vegetables and fruits.

A reorganization of the covered markets was undertaken by Napoleon in the early nineteenth century. He wanted to build a central hall between the Corn Exchange and the market of the Innocents. Hygiene problems and movement were felt with the development Halles. An architectural competition was then launched in 1848 to solve the problem. Victor Baltard prevailed having proposed to build twelve separated by a central street in the open air pavilions. Ten houses were completed in 1870 and two in 1936.

The move of the century was made in 1969. The market was moved to Rungis Halles and La Villette. Two years later, six pavilions located east of the Baltard Street were demolished and gave way to the construction of the shopping center and the RER station. In 1974, the Jardin des Halles was created at the location of the center of international trade. In 2004, the city decided to renovate the Halles. The redevelopment of Les Halles in Paris was part of the project. Work began in 2010.