10/12/2026
Sad news from Paris: the Marché des Enfants-Rouges, the oldest covered food market in the city, was completely destroyed by a fire overnight from Sunday to Monday.
The market opened in 1615 under King Louis XIII, which means it served the Marais, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris, for more than 400 years. It stood in the 3rd arrondissement. Its name means "Red Children." It came from a nearby orphanage whose children wore red, the color of Christian charity, until the orphanage closed in 1772.
Firefighters said the fire was under control early Monday, and it did not reach neighboring buildings. But the covered market was lost. The fire chief said nothing remained of it, and part of its metal structure had collapsed inside. The hall covered about 1,000 square meters (roughly 10,800 square feet). No victims were reported. The cause is still unknown.
The market had been a historic monument since 1982. It closed for six years of renovation and reopened in 2000. Since then, it had been a mix of produce stalls, cheese counters, florists and small counters serving food from around the world, popular with locals and travelers alike.
