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Date:   Oct. 2006 - PAPEETE

Dominique Morvan and Hinarai Rouleau
The story of this market matches the story of our country. This landmark of encounters and exchanges has always been the center of Polynesian considerations.

A really worthy book on the Papeete Municipal Market was due to come up after many long years in the local shops. Today this is done thanks to Dominique Morvan and Hinarai Rouleau who completed an amazing book filled with of anecdotes and rich in illustrations full of communicatve nostalgia. The story of the Tahitian capital city's market matches the story of our country, this landmark of encounters and exchanges has always been at the center of the Polynesians' consideration.

At the present time, it is without a doubt the most visited "monument" in our islands by our tourists looking for true experiences at the heart of this colorful frenzy where shouts and songs mix so well with the colors of flowers, vegetables and multicolor fish of our islands. The authors emphasized the authenticity which is always present under the market's arches, despite this strong trend amid the Tahitian population to rush to enter the twenty first century of modernity. The Market, we always go there to see the true Polynesia.

The municipal building celebrates joyfully its 153 years from the day when Governor Bruat promulguated the decision authorizing the creation not of one market but of two markets on the territory of the future township of Papeete. At its present location a large wooden market was built to house fruit ane vegetables as well as butcher shops, while fishermen had a place on the wharves to sell their fish. A new 1891 decision brought together these two specificities within a same area. Qucikly, the Market became the gathering place of all Papeete but also of the inhabitants of remote districts and those from the other islands when they venture in the city. Many anecdotes come to illustrate this beatiful book, including the 1914 bombing which destroyed part of the market, and its many renovations in 1927 and during the 60's. In 1987, its surface increased from 2,500 m2 to over 7,000 m2 with a second floor entirely dedicated to arts and crafts. (A great thing for the tourists!). The book takes a look also at the people who marked the story of the Market and an amusing gallery of portraits is seen on the calorful pages of this "Papeete's Market", available in all good book stores of the Fenua, but also on the site of Fnac, for example, to discover our Market befiore you come and visit us.

Fnac:  http://www.fnac.com/Shelf/article.asp?PRID=1878941

 See our article about The Papeete Market

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