Rue des Champeaux

“A market amidst vineyards and woodland?” you might scoff. Yet, that’s precisely how the Rue des Champeaux area in Paris began. Around the year 1000, during the reign of King Lothaire, this area north of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois was nothing more than open fields, woods, and thriving vineyards. Rue des Champeaux itself didn’t exist. Imagine a rustic landscape where the city of lights now stands. This rural setting took a dramatic turn in the 12th century. King Louis VI, in 1137, decreed the establishment of a “new market.” This decision was the catalyst for the growth of the Right Bank. The market sprung up at the junction of several key routes, including the road to Saint-Denis (now Rue Saint-Denis), the road to Normandy (now Rue Saint-Honoré), and the fishmongers’ path (now Rues Poissonnière, des Petits-Carreaux, and Montorgueil). Nearby stood the sprawling cemetery of the Innocents, which already served as a hub for commercial gatherings. This new market at Rue des Champeaux drastically expanded Paris northwestward. It attracted drapers, weavers, shoemakers, furriers, and fishmongers. Soon, it drew merchants of all types, selling everything from clothes and trinkets to wheat and vegetables. The demolition of houses following the expulsion of the Jewish community in 1182 provided even more space for the bustling marketplace. Philippe II Auguste amplified the market’s importance by relocating the Saint-Lazare Fair to Rue des Champeaux in 1181. This fair, originally held near the Saint-Denis road, significantly boosted the market’s activity. By 1183, the first two covered market halls were constructed. These halls, called “halle du commun” and “halle au blé,” served as warehouses and allowed merchants to continue trading even in inclement weather. This marked the beginning of Les Halles, Paris’s central market district.