Tonnerre Patrimoine

Place de la Halle Daret

Since the Middle Ages, the Saint Pierre district has been the economic center of the town of Tonnerre. Here you'll find stalls, craft workshops and the Halle Daret. Several times a week, the area comes alive and becomes the scene of
commercial and social exchanges. People travelled from all over the Tonnerrois region to buy supplies.
By the end of the 19th century, the market site was becoming increasingly problematic and criticized. The Halle Daret, at the junction of three narrow, steeply-sloping streets, was becoming difficult to access for the ever-increasing number of bulky vehicles. The hall itself was too small to accommodate all the food stalls. Some merchants set up outside and, with varying degrees of patience, endure the vagaries of the weather.
The people of Tonner are increasingly opposed to this situation and are calling for the construction of a new, spacious, covered market. But the urban fabric of the city center is dense, and there are no free sites to accommodate this new project. For 20 years, the project was put on hold.
In 1898, the city of Orléans made public its intention to sell the metal structure of one of its district markets. It finally withdrew its offer a few weeks later, forcing Tonnerre, which had come forward to purchase the building, to reconsider its project for a covered market. After many twists and turns, the site chosen for the new project was the grain market, just below the town hall. The brand-new covered market was inaugurated in March 1904 in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture.
Halle Daret, now deserted, was rented out to various private individuals, who converted the premises into apartments. This remained the case until 2000, when the building fell into disrepair. On the threshold of the 21st century, it was demolished and converted into a square. The Sainte-Catherine crypt still stands below.