Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The central market of Pointe-à-Pitre, also named market at Les Epices or market Saint-Antoine, was erected in 1874 on the former Place Royale (now Place de la Liberté), after the fire of 1871 which destroyed the previous hall. The project, carried by Mayor Alcide Léger, was entrusted to architect Charles Trouillé, who inspired metal halls in Baltard, then in vogue. The structure, composed of six iron-shaped farms, was made by the House Joly of Argenteuil, just like that of the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Inaugurated on 17 January 1874 with a fountain imported from metropolis, the market became an emblematic place of the city. In the 20th century, he specialized in spices. Its architecture combines cast iron columns, decorated capitals and a corrugated sheet roof, replacing original tiles. The hall and its fountain were classified as historical monuments in 1992, after an inscription in 1990.

The metal frame, typical of 19th-century industrialisation, is based on cylindrical poles also used to drain stormwater. This market illustrates the adaptation of metropolitan architectural models to the colonies, while meeting the local needs of a covered commercial space. Its ranking underlines its historic and historic importance for Guadeloupe.

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