The Halle aux Vin at Bercy in Paris
Posted On February 17, 2012 at 12:04 pm in Historical
Today the name Bercy is synonymous with the Ministry of Finance and its imposing building which juts out over the Seine. The 20,000 capacity sports and concert arena known as Palais Omnisports de Paris is another landmark in the Bercy neighborhood. Both of these buildings were built upon what was once know as the Halle aux Vin or entrepôt (warehouse) de Bercy. Finished wines were shipped in barrels by river boats from Burgundy to the Port of Bercy on the Seine. Specialist merchants sold either entire barrels to restaurants and retailers or they would bottle wines to sell in smaller quantities.
By the late 19th Century new rail connections to the South of France were opened which made inexpensive wines from the Languedoc cheap to transport to Paris. After WWII estate bottling become widespread further diminishing the importance and the port. Bercy was finally closed in the late 1970′s. These photos are part of the incredible collection of the City of Paris and illustrates the work that was done at the market during its prime.
All photos © Parisienne de Photographie 2007.
