Historical
A journey through the centuries.
The picturesque history of this event colors the spirit of this great antiques and flea market fair, the largest in France. A look back at the major chapters of this more than centenary history.
From ham to treasures of yesteryear
The roots of this famous Fair lie deep in French heritage. This emblematic event has its origins in the Ham Fair, which arose spontaneously during the Middle Ages and possibly even earlier, in the Gallo-Roman period.
The French charcuterie tradition dates back to the Gaulish era, when our ancestors raised pigs that amazed the Romans. Even then, they praised the merits of Bayonne ham and the cured meats of Cerdagne and Franche-Comté. Until the 19th century, pork remained the central food of Christmas celebrations, whether in peasant or bourgeois and aristocratic homes.
Throughout the Middle Ages, provincial pork butchers took to converging on Paris during Holy Week to sell their products. They set up strategically around Notre-Dame, taking advantage of the crowds of the faithful. Because the butchers were not regulated, many merchants quickly proliferated.
From the Parisian boulevards to the Island of Impressionists.
The history of the fair was then marked by successive relocations across the capital. King Louis VI (Louis the Fat) banned free-roaming pigs after his son Philippe suffered a fatal fall from his horse caused by a pig. Only the so-called ‘Saint-Antoine’ pigs belonging to the monks of Saint-Antoine were still allowed to roam. All others were confiscated and given to the Hôtel-Dieu hospital for the sick.
In 1451, regulations were introduced for the Lard Fair, and bad meat was thrown into the Seine. From 1500 onwards, the fair became too big for its site and, over the following years, it moved successively to rue des Prouvaires, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, Place de la Morgue (today Place de la Concorde).
The revolutionary period brought a temporary halt to the tradition, but in 1804 an imperial decree revived the event under the name ‘Ham Fair’, bringing it back near Notre-Dame. It then underwent multiple moves: Quai de la Vallée (today Quai des Grands-Augustins) in 1813, rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin in 1832, and boulevard Bourdon in 1840.
The metamorphosis of a living heritage
It was on boulevard Bourdon that the fair’s character began to evolve deeply. Traders of bric-a-brac, used clothing and old iron gradually joined the butchers. Thus the Ferraille Fair (scrap fair) was born, and its fate became intertwined with the Ham Fair, which it soon far outgrew in importance.
In 1869, a police decree moved both markets to boulevard Richard-Lenoir, where they remained for nearly a century. The fair ran from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday until 1940, and then resumed after the war with two annual editions, in spring and in autumn.
Problems of space, accessibility, and urban traffic remained ever-present. Despite numerous relocation proposals put forward by the National Syndicate of Antique and Flea Market Commerce, no solution was adopted in spite of awareness that change was imminent.
Impressionist rebirth in Chatou.
In 1969 (without prior consultation with the profession), the Police Headquarters moved the Fair to the Beaubourg plateau and, on 2 February 1970, the Prefect of Paris decided, after deliberation by the Paris Council, that the Scrap Metal and Ham Fair could be transferred outside the capital.
The leaders of the National Union of Antiques and Second-hand Goods Traders immediately launched a rescue operation, which was carried out swiftly and, with the help of the Municipality of Chatou, the conditions were met to ensure the continued existence of France’s most famous flea market.
Twice a year, in the second half of March and at the end of September, enthusiasts and collectors gather for this iconic event on the island of Chatou. In an atmosphere inspired by the history of the Impressionists, the Foire à la Brocante et aux Jambons (Flea Market and Ham Fair) continues its centuries-old tradition, serving as a living testament to the past. The reconstructed alleys of Chemin Vert and Boulevard Richard-Lenoir are now the stage on which the fascinating history of French flea markets continues to be written.
