THE MORNING LIST
The search for good condition, affordable, second-hand pieces used to be seen as a hobby of snobbish sores. It is now all the more trendy as this quest is part of a concern for sustainability. And if antique furniture is less popular, small furniture, clothing, objects and vintage decor are snapped up. From Tuscany to Brussels, five ideas for browsing.
The fair of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
If, for two centuries, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, in the Luberon, had around 6,000 or 7,000 inhabitants, its population has tripled since the 1960s. The secret of this performance? Antiquities. In 1966, two friends launched what is undoubtedly one of the first antique fairs in France. Against all odds, well relayed by the media, it is a success. Today, it welcomes up to 100,000 visitors per edition and this during four events that punctuate the year and take place on August 15, Easter, Pentecost and All Saints’ Day. Having become a must, the village has 300 flea market professionals. But beyond this specialty, the place is also worth for the charm of its alleys, its canals, its water mills and its trendy shops.
The next Antiques Art & You fair will take place from Saturday 29 October to Tuesday 1er november. Foire-isle-sur-sorgue.fr
In Brussels, the Sablon antiques market
Visitors appreciate the Belgian and European capital for its human size, its atmosphere, its friendly inhabitants and its good beers. They are less familiar with its Sablon antiques market, yet one of the most popular in the country. It owes its existence to the improbable alliance between a local antique dealer and the priest of Notre-Dame du Sablon church. The antique dealer wanted to sell engravings on Sundays after mass. The priest, won over, offered to invite other merchants and make it a regular meeting place. The time to obtain the authorizations, the market finally opens, in 1960, and is a real success. Especially since it is central, near the royal palace and the Place Royale. It brings together several hundred exhibitors selling furniture, objects, books or jewelry. And the Place du Grand-Sablon, in addition to the antique stalls, is full of restaurants, bars and chocolatiers.
The Sablon antiques market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Place du Grand-Sablon. Sablonantiquesmarket.be/fr
The Great Rederie in Amiens
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