Halles de Dijon

Market in Dijon

Halles Centrales - Dijon — CC BY-SA 4.0 / Chabe01

The central market halls of Dijon, built between 1873 and 1875, are notable examples of metallic architecture located in Côte-d’Or, Burgundy-Franche-Comté. They have been recognized as historic monuments since 1975.

History of Halles de Dijon

In 1868, the city of Dijon decided to construct a covered market, with initial plans drafted by the city’s architect and finalized in 1869 by his successor, engineer Louis-Clément Weinberger. The construction was undertaken by the Foundries and Construction Workshops of Fourchambault on the site previously occupied by a Dominican convent and its 13th-century church. The structure covers an area of 4,400 square meters and reaches a height of 13 meters. It is organized into four pavilions centered around two main, cross-shaped aisles, housing 246 shops, 14 annexes, and 728 stalls.

The building features a series of arcades and columns with fluted shafts and vine-decorated capitals. The spandrels of the large arches are adorned with animal motifs and symbolic themes related to the market, including heads of deer, mouflon, wild boar, and oxen, as well as game, poultry, fish, and eels. Medallions depict Ceres, the goddess of the harvest, and Hermes, the god of trade and commerce. The roof’s design was heavily influenced by the covered market halls of Paris, echoing classical architectural elements. This design was inspired by proposals from the Eiffel company in 1868 and executed by the Foundries and Construction Workshops of Fourchambault, following the plans of engineer Weinberger. The Dijon market halls are listed in the Inventory of Historical Monuments and stand as a significant architectural and cultural landmark in the region.

The Halles de Dijon appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Dijon!

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