Les Halles - Beaubourg
The churches of St-Eustache and St-Germain l'Auxerrois held the first Parisian marketplace, dating from the beginning of the 12th century. In 1183, Philippe Auguste enlarged the marketplace and built a shelter for the merchants, who came from all over to sell their wares. For centuries, until the marketplace was moved to Rungis, The Halles were the "stomach of Paris". The liveliness once associated with the area has disappeared, even if the new modern shopping mall, the Forum des Halles, still attracts a large number of people. On the other side of Boulevard Sebastopol, a very controversial building project resulted in the Pompidou Centre which until very recently attracted the largest number of people of any attraction in the city, including the Louvre. It is the home of the National Museum of Modern Art, and has a fascinating and rich collection of modern works. It is also the home of many temporary exhibitions, and a large public library.
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