Èl hale, pus nou mangon ni v’ f’rè glèter l’ minton
In the market hall, no butcher makes your mouth water anymore
Hidden behind its simple exterior is one of Liège’s oldest civic buildings. Inside, the original trusses and columns bear witness to the expertise of 16th-century craftsmen. The building’s name leaves little doubt about its original function: it was constructed between 1544 and 1546 for the butchers’ guild, who were known as ‘mangons’ in Liège. Their coat of arms can still be seen adorning the building’s four entrances.
De hal was tot de jaren 1980 de thuisbasis van de slagers. De hal werd in de jaren 1990 gerestaureerd en gerenoveerd en huisvest nu het toerismekantoor.
Guilds first emerged in the Middle Ages and played an economic and political role until they were abolished at the time of the French Revolution. There were 32 guilds in Liège, known as ‘bons métiers’, and their memory is still very much alive.
While some professions have understandable names in French, others are Walloon: ‘chandelon’ or ‘tchand’lon’ (for wax maker), ‘charlier’ or ‘tchårlî’ (for wheelwright), ‘vieux-warier’ or ‘vî-warî’ (for rag-and-bone man) and ‘soyeur’ or ‘soyeû’ (for wood sawyer).