42 years of antique history and flea market at l’ISLS

We owe Albert Gassier and René Légier the creation of the first flea market fair of l’ISLS. During Easter of 1966, they organize with the help of their spouses the first fair of la Sorgue. Fourteen exhibitors are gathered, among which Michel Agnellet, Henri Bey, Mr Pinet, Albert Gassier, Denise Marignane, Charles Delpuech, Robert Zalova, Mr Lagache, Guiseppe Ragnoni, Jean Aquaviva, Mr Baraud, René Légier, Alice Valetti. One mentioning in a local television news report… and the first edition is an immediate popular success. René Légier, elected at the town council and Albert Gassier gave birth to a society supported by the town, which as soon as 1967 organizes two great events, at Easter and the 15th August. The number of exhibitors keeps on growing, and so does the number of visitors. In 2006, for the 40th birthday of the Antique fair and flea market, the town sets its charter of quality.

The international fairs of LslS were then successively organized by the event committee of the town (1966_1973), Albert Gassier (1974-1987), Mr Bartolini (1988-1992), Mr Heroldi (1993-2002). In 2003, the town has retaken the organization of these events before giving it away in 2008, by the delegation of public service, to the company Mercantour.

The antique tradesmen’s village

Jean Nicolas initiates the setting up of the first antique tradesmen’s village, the ‘village de la gare’, the train station village, where you can find a dozen professionals in ‘les Tapis d’Avignon’, the old carpet factory. Albert Gassier creates the ‘Isles des Brocantes’, the Flea Market Isles, then makes the Sunday flea market an institution. In the 1980s, the antique dealers market from the ‘Quai de la gare’, the station’s platform village, initiated by Jean Chysski attracts more elitist up market customers. At the end of the 1980s, there is a real boom for Antiques’ trade. Many professionals become sedentary, clients become international. The Espace Bechard regularly invites jet set key figures that have first fallen in love with the Luberon, then with the Alpilles.
The “l’Isle sur la Sorgue phenomenon” goes onto a larger scale, beyond the French borders. After the Italians and the Spanish, it is the Americans that discover the Vaucluse thanks to the impact of the books of Peter Mayle at the beginning of the 1990s. The art from Provence is then much sought after, the trade in the area of decoration and the art galleries spread along the antiques trade.

Today

The town counts 250 shops and art galleries, a dozen antique villages and organizes each year two international fairs, for Easter and for the 15th August. In the last ten years, the sedentary antiques trade and flea markets have increased by 128%. This commercial branch constitutes today a main economical activity for the town which has evolved from 7,000 inhabitants in 1960 to about 20,000 today.