An iconic place on the map of Paris burned down. Oldest covered market 'completely destroyed'

The Marche des Enfants Rouges is a place that was popular with both visitors to Paris and permanent residents. However, this part of its history is over - on Tuesday, the market was devastated by a fire that broke out at 3:00 a.m. Ariel Weil, mayor of Paris Center (the unit that connects the capital's first four districts), said the facility was "completely destroyed."

The worst was avoided: the fire did not spread to the surrounding buildings. But the emotions are huge. A lot of sadness – he said, quoted by The Guardian.

Tourists such as Ricky, who with his partner managed to visit the park before the fire, do not hide their grief. Before leaving Paris, they wanted to visit the market again, but instead of trying dishes from around the world, they saw firefighters.

It was such a lovely place, so enchanting – and now it's gone. A tragedy – said Ricky during an interview with France 24.

Chirac wanted a parking lot here

The Marche des Enfants Rouges was founded in 1615, during the reign of Louis XIII. It owes its name to the nearby orphanage, whose charges wore characteristic red clothes. For over four centuries, the market has survived numerous historical turmoil, and in the 1980s it was almost demolished.

Jacques Chirac, who led the city at the time, planned to replace the market with a modern complex with an underground parking lot, a nursery and a social center. Thanks to the decisive intervention of residents and the support of artists and intellectuals, the market was saved from demolition.

Renovation and new life

In the 1990s, the city invested 13 million francs in a thorough renovation of the market. The historic wooden and iron structure and glass roof were restored. In 2000, the Marche des Enfants Rouges reopened its doors, becoming one of the most fashionable meeting places in Paris.

On an area of ​​1,000 square meters, there were both traditional stands - a grocery store, a butcher, cheese and fish sellers - as well as over a dozen points offering street food from different parts of the world: from French, Lebanese, Moroccan and Japanese cuisine.

The market enjoyed great popularity among both residents and tourists. The Time Out guide called it "the coolest market in Paris", and the prestigious Food&Wine website classified it this year as the fifth best place in the world for street food.