Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The covered market of Sens, built in 1882, replaces the former 12th century Hôtel-Dieu, disused after the transfer of medical services in 1792. Beginning in 1817, the municipality envisaged its transformation into a hall, but partial demolitions did not begin until 1863. The chapel of the Hôtel-Dieu, now a meat hall, was razed after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, releasing space for a new project.

An architectural contest was launched in 1878, won by Senonais Horace Lefort and Benoni Roblot. The work, entrusted to the Parisian entrepreneur Moissan in 1880, was completed in 1882. The triangular building, made of metal, brick and glass, symbolizes the industrial architecture of the late 19th century. It was listed as historic monuments in 1975 for its heritage value.

Before 1882, the site housed temporary halls: meat on the right, wheat on the left, fish and municipal services (commissariat, school) in the rest of the building. The inauguration took place on 15 July 1882, marking the modernization of Sens' commercial infrastructure. The market still works today, after a major renovation in 2015 (3 million euros) led by Olivier Naviglio.

The original Hotel-God, founded in the 12th century under the name The House of God, owes its expansion to gifts like that of Geoffroy Ruiles in 1204. After 1793, he welcomed the gendarmerie and then the ephemeral halls. The projects of total demolition (1817) or displacement (the 1960s) failed, preserving this central place of Senonian life.

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