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Heritage classified

Origin and history

Honfleur's salt attices were two buildings built in 1670 to store the salt for gabelle, mainly used for the conservation of cod caught on Newfoundland banks. They were erected with stones from the old city walls, and could hold up to 10,000 tons of salt. Originally, three attices were built, but only two were preserved until today.

These buildings, located at the Quai de la Tour in the Enclos district, became property of the city of Honfleur. They are now used as communal halls for exhibitions, concerts, conferences or a Russian film festival. Their architecture and history make them major witnesses to port and commercial activity in the 17th century.

The two salt attices were classified as historical monuments a few months apart in 1916: the first on 31 July and the second on 6 December. Their preservation illustrates the heritage importance of these buildings linked to the Norman maritime economy, including the cod fishery, which played a key role in Honfleur's development.

Their location in Calvados, Normandy, and their integration into the urban fabric of Honfleur underline their central function in the logistic organization of the city. These attices also symbolize the transition between a medieval economy based on ramparts and a modern economy oriented towards maritime commerce.

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