FACT OF THE DAY The Belly of the City is 140 years old

IJust 140 years ago, the market halls of Nîmes opened their doors to a public fond of consuming local products in the best possible conditions. Indeed, since 1884, the halls have always echoed the life of the people of Nîmes, their art of living. They have become an obligatory passage for tourist visits. Here, we find fresh products, aisles full of diversity and picturesque scenes. But the halls are no longer those of 20 years ago.

There was a time, they lived early in the morning, very early even. There we came across night workers who drank and ate with the day workers, all alongside the petty bourgeoisie stuck between the populace and the clergy. Everyone went to the market halls. Today, at 8:30 a.m., we often still set up and the audience is less eclectic. In any case, onlookers, curious and above all greedy, come there as if on a pilgrimage. Despite varying prices, when you love the market halls, you love them for real.

Let's go back to the time and what was being done in the theme. The markets, often themed and outdoors (even if there were covered markets on the Chapter and Oratory squares), take the full brunt of technological developments and revolutions. The train arrives in Nîmes, the Haussmannian transformation will liberate Paris, it is time to change the situation, particularly for hygiene. Bringing together all traders, in a single place, covered and adapted to the new French health habits and customs, was in the spirit of the times and has continued since despite the passing decades and changes in consumption. Cities are growing, city dwellers remain connected to fresh products (no choice!) but they must be highlighted and promoted.

It was John Monod and especially Félix Beaujouan who took on the heavy responsibility for the site. A quick project, completed according to the rules of the art and with a certain architectural panache. The halls of the period have characteristics of the “practical” buildings of the time. Since then, we have followed the same plan, the halls are still divided into four pavilions integrated under this large concrete and metal shell that we know. The inauguration by Ali Margarot, mayor of Nîmes, is celebrated over two days, as in 2024, on Sunday November 9 and Monday November 10, 1884.

After the Second World War, cities changed and cars became more popular. The stallholders are having difficulty working properly and even though we are in the middle of the “glorious 30”, sewerage is still not relevant. Worse, in winter it is as cold inside as outside and the building deteriorates.

The old halls are dismantled and a concrete cage, housing parking lots, is chosen to replace the magic of the place. Edgar Tailhades and Émile Jourdan, mayors of Nîmes, are taking charge of this renovation. On the site of the city of Nîmes, a testimony speaks. It was at this time that the stalls were moved for two years to the heart of the brand new underground car park on the Esplanade. “ The convenience of nearby parking proved its worth. It was a real pleasure to re-enter the halls on May 7, 1973 and to find our customers amazed by our new premises. » It's the cheesemaker Fernand Prat, a pillar of Les Halles for more than 50 years.

With the end of the 20th century approaching, the idea is now to recreate attractiveness around the place of life by attaching a shopping center, La Coupole des Halles. In 1983, it was the new mayor of Nîmes, Jean Bousquet, who attacked the project which he entrusted from 1988 to 1991 to the architects Wilmotte and Fontès.

With the 21st century, it is necessary to take care of the basements and carry out new, heavy work to develop them so that traders can work properly. The interior of the halls was given a facelift ten years ago and we are ready to go do some shopping to enjoy this unique place in this modern life.

The leases which bind the stalls to the City, owner of the walls, run until 2029. This year, the Town Hall mentioned a boost and some work (nearly 13 million euros anyway) for a real modernization of the places by 2031.

In the municipal bulletin, the City talks about resuming the coverings (floors, walls and ceilings) and all the networks including the cable trays (installation of optical fiber), but also about replacing the public toilets, the lighting of the surroundings, and the smoke extraction, hood extraction and basement ventilation systems, without forgetting the creation of four freight elevators to replace the two elevators to encourage the activity of the stalls.

Temporary halls would be created at the top of Boulevard Gambetta, between Square Antonin and the entrance to the dome of Les Halles. As part of this modernization, the surroundings of the building will be redeveloped and rue Guizot, already under construction, will be pedestrianized with the aim of creating a restaurant area on the terrace to improve conviviality and encourage the public to enter the covered market. The markets are moving, very good, they are alive!