Marché de la Boucherie (ancien) , dit Grande Boucherie ou Salle Dedieu
MonumentHidden Treasure
In the heart of Arles, the former Grande Boucherie - known as the Salle Dedieu - reveals the powerful sobriety of Provençal medieval civil architecture, a rare vestige of a thousand-year-old urban trade listed as a Historic Monument.
History
Discreet but steeped in history, the former Grande Boucherie d'Arles - also known as the Salle Dedieu - is one of those civil monuments that you don't notice at first glance, but which nevertheless contains centuries of Provençal urban life. Unlike the arena or the thermal baths, which overwhelm the eye, this building speaks in a low voice, with the restraint typical of medieval merchant architecture in the south of France. What makes this place truly unique is its dual identity: both a major economic infrastructure - the meat market was a strategic municipal facility in the Middle Ages, subject to strict regulations - and an architectural testimony to a prosperous trading Arles, far beyond its ancient reputation. The name "Salle Dedieu" probably refers to a later appropriation of the site for religious or fraternal purposes, as was common for these large disused market halls. A visit to the building offers an immersion into the daily life of medieval Arles, far removed from museographic reconstructions. The interior volumes, the quality of the local ashlar bonding and the sobriety of the architectural details invite you to imagine the hustle and bustle of the stalls, the cries of the butchers, the smell of blood mingled with that of thyme - the harshness of a living town. The surrounding urban setting reinforces the interest of the approach: in the heart of the historic centre of Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its ancient monuments, this butcher's shop is a reminder that the city did not stand still in the Rome of the 2nd century. It continued to live, build and trade, century after century. A monument in its own right in a city that already boasts so many.
Architecture
The former Grande Boucherie (butcher's shop) in Arles is typical of Provençal medieval civil architecture: it is built of ashlar limestone, a material that is ubiquitous in the Arles region, in golden hues that harmonise with the rest of the city's old buildings. The building probably has an elongated hall layout, organised into regular bays covered with pointed barrel vaults or modest pointed arches, in keeping with the southern Gothic tradition that favours functionality over ornament. The exterior façades are sober, with no ostentatious sculpted decoration, in keeping with the building's commercial vocation. In the past, wide openings in the form of pointed arches or semi-circular arches allowed buyers to move around and provided the natural ventilation that was essential in a place where fresh meat was displayed. The two-sloped roof is covered with Provençal canal tiles, a traditional material that provides excellent thermal regulation in the Arles climate. Inside, the single space or aisles are reminiscent of the large medieval covered market halls in the south of France, such as those found in Montpellier and Narbonne. The pillars or columns supporting the roof demarcated the stalls of the various butchers, whose places were allocated and regulated by the local council. The sturdiness of the whole structure, designed to withstand the intensive use of a daily market, goes some way to explaining why it has survived to the present day.
Related Figures
Les consuls d'Arles médiévale, commanditaires et gestionnaires des équipements marchands de la citéLes maîtres bouchers de la corporation arlésienne, usuaires privilégiés et gardiens des droits d'étalsProsper Mérimée, inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, dont les missions en Provence inspirèrent la politique de classement du patrimoine civil médiévalLes érudits de la Société des Amis du Vieil Arles, défenseurs au XIXe siècle du patrimoine médiéval arlésien face aux démolitions haussmanniennesFrédéric Mistral, poète et fondateur du Félibrige, dont l'œuvre de valorisation de la Provence contribua indirectement à la sauvegarde des monuments civils de la région
