Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: halle

The first known document is an endowment of two churches by Asturias King Alfonso III, in 905. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the most important ports of the Biscay Bay, trading mainly with French ports. At this time, it had two nuclei: a fishermen's district, Sabugo, and the aristocratic centre, La Villa, standing each other across a small water inlet. La Villa was surrounded by strong walls, which demonstrated its strategic and commercial importance. In 1479 the Catholic Monarchs granted a free market on each Monday of the year, which still takes place. The market hall is closed in the late afternoon.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Vandals and the Visigoths ruled the area until in 711 the Arabs defeated the troops of Visigoth King Roderic in a battle near Jerez. In 1145 the Almohads conquered the city. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Jerez underwent a period of great development, building its defense system and setting the current street layout of the old town. In 1231 the Battle of Jerez took place. Christian troops under the command of Álvaro Pérez de Castro, grandson of Alfonso VII, defeated the troops of the Emir Ibn Hud. After a month-long siege in 1261, the city surrendered to Castile, but its Muslim population remained. It rebelled and was finally defeated in 1264. Today Jerez de la Frontera has well over 200,000 inhabitants. The building is located on the site of the old monastery of San Francisco. The neoclassical building was designed by José Esteve and completed in 1885.

Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. Madrid is part of the historical landscape of Castile and is located in the middle of the Meseta, the plateau of Castile. The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times. The first document about the existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. In the second half of the 9th century Umayyad Emir Muhammad I built a fortress here. After the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the early 11th century, Madrid was integrated into the Taifa of Toledo. In 1083, Madrid was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile. In 1309, under Fernando IV, the Assembly of Estates (Cortes) of the Kingdom of Castile was convened for the first time in Madrid. In 1561, Philip II moved the royal court from Valladolid to Madrid. It became the de facto capital of Spain, which it remains to this day. In 1701 the War of the Spanish Succession broke out, which led to the Anglo-Portuguese occupation of the city in 1706. It ended in 1714 with the Bourbons taking over the Spanish throne. Today's royal palace was built under their rule. Particularly during the reign of Charles III, who is therefore popularly referred to as the “best mayor of Madrid”, the city's public infrastructure was modernized and numerous public buildings were built. The covered market was originally built in 1916. It was purchased by private investors in 2003 who renovated the iron structure and reopened it in 2009. By now it is not a traditional grocery market any longer but a gourmet tapas market, loved by many tourists. Even champagne is offered.

León was founded in 68 AD for a Roman legion from which they were supposed to pacify the rebellious mountain dwellers of Asturias and Cantabria. The name of the settlement that was then developed is based on a refined form of the Latin word "legio". After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was conquered by the Visigoths and in 712 by the Moors. In 856, after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the city was repopulated. Ordoño II made León the capital of his kingdom of León in 914. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, León was an important stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Traders and artisans settled in the suburbs and had a strong influence on the development of the city from the 13th century onwards. In the early Middle Ages, the city became prosperous through the cattle trade. However, from the 16th century until the 19th century, the economy and population declined. The “Mercado del Conde Luna" - Municipal Food Market has existed here since 1929. Here the building is seen from the Palacio del Conde Luna.

The town's origins date back to the 10th century when the Benedictine Abbey of St Michel was founded on the banks of the Tarn. Located on the Way of St. James, the abbey existed until the French Revolution. The city itself benefited from its favorable location: the trade route from the Rouergue to Toulouse crossed the navigable Tarn here, which in turn formed the most important trade route to Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. Viticulture and the cultivation of woad also contributed to the prosperity of Gaillac. The Hundred Years' War and then the Black Death epidemic ruined Gaillac: it lost half its population and the wine trade ceased. These disasters were not the last, however, because between 1562 and 1572 , during the Wars of Religion , the city saw repeated fighting between Catholics and Protestants. The Catholics were chased out of the town by Protestants. After their return and the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre on 24 August 1572, in Paris, the Catholic Gaillacois massacred 74 out of the 90 Huguenots in the town. Gaillac is mainly known for its wine "Gaillac AOC". The region makes claims to be among the earliest viticultural centers of ancient Gaul, though possibly after those of Languedoc around Narbonne. Roman merchants transported wine to Bordeaux and Northern Europe down the Tarn. A church dedicated to Saint-Pierre already existed in 972, when the Bishop of Albi donated it to the new Abbey of Saint-Michel de Gaillac. It then returned fairly quickly to the dependency of the bishops of Albi. In 1185 Bishop Guillaume V de Pierre donated to the commandant of the hospital. The residents of Gaillac took care of the equipment of the hospital. Market hall from the 19th century

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - Architects Richard Plüddemann and Heinrich Küster were responsible for the planning and designs of the Hala Targowa (Market Hall). The construction of the reinforced concrete structure started in 1906 after the demolition of old buildings on the site began. The use of the then-innovative application of reinforced concrete trusses was unique in Europe at the time. In 1908, the market hall was opened and developed into one of the most popular shopping facilities in the city and still is today. The market hall is seen here from the tower of the cathedral.

Schwerin is the capital German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with less than 100000 inhabitants it is the least populous of all German state capitals. Schwerin is enclosed by lakes. In the middle part of these lakes was a settlement of the Slavic Abodrites way before 1000. The settlement was first mentioned in 1018. After Henry the Lion had defeated the Abodrites, he had the defences rebuilt and granted city rights. 1160 is therefore traditionally regarded as the "German" year of Schwerin's foundation. After Henry the Lion had now subjugated the lands of the Obotrites, he appointed a bishop in the (already abandoned) bishopric of Mecklenburg. This bishop moved the bishopric from remote Mecklenburg to Schwerin in 1167. There, in the presence of Henry the Lion himself, an act of consecration took place in 1171 on the Romanesque predecessor building of today's cathedral. At this time, only the apse will have been completed. The entire cathedral was not consecrated until 1248. Of this building, not much is left. When Count Heinrich von Schwerin returned from the Crusade in 1222 he presented the church the valuable relic of the Holy Blood. So the cathedral became the most important pilgrimage church in north-eastern Germany. The Romanesque basilica was too small - and so the construction of the new Schwerin Cathedral began around 1270. In 1327 the new choir was completed. By the end of the 14th century, the transept and the nave were finished except for the vaults. Builders from Stralsund completed the windows of the nave and its vaulting in 1416, thus ending the building history of the Gothic basilica of Schwerin Cathedral. The cathedral seen from the market. The white building with the Doric columns is (still!) called "Neues Gebäude" (new building). It was opened in 1785 as a market hall to replace the stalls on the market. But that didn't work for long. Soon the stalls were back on the market. This is also the case today, while a café is located in the market hall instead.

Cordes-sur-Ciel lies high above the banks of the Cérou river. So in 1993, when tourism got more important. So in 1993, it got the surname "sur-Ciel". The village was founded as a bastide in 1222 by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, a strong opponent of the infamous Simon de Montfort during the Albigensian Crusade. It was built, to protect the scattered population of the area from conflict. By the 1229 Treaty of Paris, Raymond conceded defeat to Louis IX of France. When in 1241, Jeanne, the Countess of Toulouse, married the brother of Louis IX Cordes became a part of France in 1271 without having been militarily conquered. Today Cordes-sur-Ciel is a pretty tourist spot. The quaint village is well worth a stop. Under the roof of the medieval market hall, which in summer serves as a restaurant, is a well, that is about 100m deep.

The village of Beauregard (pop. ~ 230) was founded as a bastide in the 13th century, a joint project (paréage) by the Abbey of Marcilhac-sur-Célé and the French King Philip IV. The market hall in the centre of the village was built in the 15th century.

Ervy-le-Châtel´s market hall was erected 1836 -1937. Today it hosts the tourist information office.

Legends tell, that Issigeac developed around a Benedictine monastery established by Saint Cybard. A convent dedicated to Saint Peter existed here indeed from the 7th century on. Pope Eugene III mentioned the convent around 1053. In 1317 a bishopric was established in Sarlat, but first bishop claimed, that the revenues were not sufficient to meet the episcopal duties. So he asked Pope John XXII to add the deanery of Issigeac with all the income to the see of Sarlat. The Pope agreed. In 1482 the Bishop of Sarlat chased the monks out of the monastery and established canons here. Around that time the reconstruction of the church started. During the Wars of Religion, the Protestants set fire and partially demolished the church, but the Bishop of Sarlat had it rebuilt. Like most town in France, Issigeac has a market hall.

A hermitage was founded here by Géraud de Salles, a friend of Robert de Arbrissel, the of the Cistercian abbey of Fontevrault. In 1119 the hermitage was made an abbey, connected to the Abbaye de Pontigny. The Abbaye de Cîteaux ceded twelve monks to Cadouin for the first settlement of the monastery. Around 1200 the monastery came into possession of the "Saint-Suaire de Cadouin". This was believed to be the facecloth from the tomb of Christ, said to have been brought from Antioch by a priest after the first crusade. This relic made the abbey an important place of pilgrimage on the way to Santiago and brought it great prestige and wealth. Even Louis IX of France ("St. Louis"), Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart") and Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint") visited Cadouin to see the relic. The war of the 14th century let the pilgrimage come to an end and let the abbey decline. In 1357 the abbey was ruined and only two monks stayed to guard the shroud, that was transferred to Toulouse in 1392. This transport of shroud to Toulouse deprived the abbey of donations. The shroud returned and with the strong support of the French Kings, the abbey recovered after 1455. Thanks to royal protection, the cloister was rebuilt in an extravagant way. The revive the economy this market hall next to the abbey was erected. Though the authenticity of the shroud was attested in 1644, the abbey did never fully recover after the Wars of Religions. During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and got looted. In 1793 the abbey, apart from the church, was sold as a national property. The abbey was famous for its library, but most books were burnt in the village square.

Cazères is another old bastide town. Notre Dame, the towns recently restaurated parish church, was erected 13th/14th century. The old , woooden market hall that stood next to the church. It got replaced by the very elegant hall, seen to the left, in 1884.

Raymond VII, the Count of Toulouse, who signed the Treaty of Paris (1229), that ended the Albigensian Crusade and the political autonomy of Occitan, founded the town in a loop of the River Arize in 1238 as a bastide. The town still has the typical layout - and a central square right in its center. Here is the market hall and behind Saint-Victor, the parish church.

A convent existed in the valley of the River Orbieu already in the 7th century. In 779 Charlemagne sponsored the convent that developed to the wealthy and powerful Abbaye Sainte-Marie over the next centuries. Lagrasse, one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" ("The most beautiful villages of France"), that grew around the abbey. has a population of about 550. The market hall is located in the center of the village.

In 1470, Louis Malet Graville, Seigneur of Chartres, commissioned to build this hall, to create a prosperous market here. The rectangular hall is about 35 meters long and 18 meters wide, it is one of the largest in the region. 48 old oak beams on sandstone-foundations hold up the roof. In 1820, the Duc Mouchy, descendant of the noble family, sold the hall to the city of Arpajon. Meanwhile the hall is well restorated and twice per week, here is the market.

Placed right in the center of Rioux (pop 900) is the nicely timbered market-hall (right) and the Romanesque church Notre-Dame de l’Assomption. The church is an outstanding example of the specific "style saintongeais".

Like most other "bastides" Revel has a layout like a chequerboard. Right in the very center here stands a belltower, surrounded by the wooden structure of "la halle central", filling the central block. Pierre-Paul Riquet has lived in Revel, before he started the construction of the "Canal du Midi" in 1667. The nearby "Lac de Saint-Ferréol" was created at that time, to provide water to the canal (about 30kms south). - When I reached this place walking the Via Tolosana in August 2011, the battery of my camera was flat. I ould not take a fresh photo. So just recycle this shot. Nothing had changed over the year.