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Le 12th November 2023
The Halles Centrales are a masterpiece of late 19th century metal architecture inspired by the Baltard Pavilions.
Les Halles overlooks the northern ramparts of the “old town”. They occupy a balcony site which offers a very extensive view of the Charente valley, in particular the Houmeau district. Moreover, this district is an old shopping district animated until the 19th century by barge traffic on the Charente.
ALTERNATELY: Fortress, prison, or municipal stores
The location occupied since 1888 by the Halles was not originally dedicated to market activity. Indeed, the building which preceded them is one of the first castles founded in the XNUMXth century by the Taillefer dynasty, Counts of Angoulême.
A fortress until the 1855th century, it was transformed into a prison at the end of the XNUMXth century. It then became municipal stores from XNUMX. This building, which was designed by Édouard Warin, architect of the City, is a minor but very real replica of the Halles Centrales of Paris. It thus represents for Angoulême one of the last industrial architectural vestiges of the end of the XNUMXth century.
A gourmet stop at the covered market
is a must DURING your stay in Angoulême!
Farmers, market gardeners, craftsmen and chefs welcome you under a huge hall, classified as a historic monument since 1993. Built in the XNUMXth century in the style of the Baltard Parisian pavilions with new materials from industry. Cast iron, glass, and iron are just a few.
This beautiful architecture presents a careful decor. Glazed briquettes, sculpted clocks, zinc frieze decorated with the city's coat of arms; but also earthenware bearing the monograms of the City of Angoulême, foliage capitals of cast iron columns...
Designed according to the plans of the architect Edouard Warin, associated with the engineer Pommier, the halls replaced in 1888 the châtelet, a former XNUMXth century fortified castle.