Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen

The Marche aux puces de Saint-Ouen originated in the late nineteenth century when a community of ragpickers, known as chiffonniers, were forced out of central Paris by urban planning projects. These scavengers relocated to the area just beyond the city fortifications at Porte de Clignancourt, where they established an informal trade of recovered goods on the outskirts of the capital. The name flea market emerged directly from this era, as the secondhand mattresses, upholstery, and garments sold by these traders were often infested with the insects.