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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.
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