Bourges's slaughterhouses
In Bourges, the creation of a public slaughterhouse addressed the same hygiene and organizational concerns as in the rest of the country. As early as 1838, the municipality decided to launch a project and organized a competition to define its plans. The project by architect Louis-Hippolyte Roger, then a member of the city council, was selected. His work was praised for the quality of its design and its adaptation to the functional constraints of the site.
Despite this early decision, the construction of the slaughterhouse was plagued by numerous delays. The project remained bogged down in administrative processes for a long time, and debates surrounding its location and proposed modifications further slowed its progress. For over twenty years, construction was postponed, halted, and then restarted, illustrating the frequent difficulties faced by major public projects in the 19th century.
Building Decree
Decree authorizing the establishment of a slaughterhouse in Bourges at the hamlet La Chappe
Decree of May 11, 1861.
Napoleon, by the Grace of God and the will of the nation, Emperor of the French, to all present and to come, greetings:
On the report of our Minister Secretary of State for the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works;
Having considered the request made by the city of Bourges (Cher), seeking authorization to establish a public slaughterhouse with tallow rendering facilities, tripe processing facilities, and pigsties.
The deliberations of the municipal council of this city, dated April 17, 1856, May 22, 1858, February 19, and August 13, 1859.
The documents from the inquiries to which the project was submitted, and which show that it did not give rise to any objections;
Having regard to the decree of October 15, 1810, and the ordinance of January 14, 1815, concerning establishments classified as dangerous, unhealthy, or inconvenient, together with the ordinance of April 15, 1808, specifically concerning public and communal slaughterhouses;
The law of July 18, 1837, on municipal administration, and the law of July 18, 1860, which authorizes the said city to borrow the sum of three hundred thousand francs, to be allocated to the execution of the said public slaughterhouse project;
Having consulted the Public Works, Agriculture, and Commerce Section and the Interior, Public Instruction, and Religious Affairs Section of our Council of State, we have decreed and do decree the following:
Article 1st
The city of Bourges is authorized to establish a public slaughterhouse, with tallow rendering facilities, tripe processing facilities, and pigsties, at the location known as La Chappe, situated between the Auron River and the Berry Canal, and in accordance with the provisions of the plan submitted to the Town Hall on February 1, 1857, which plan shall remain annexed to this decree.
Article 2
The said city is therefore authorized to acquire the properties of Messrs. Deguéret, Paré, and Gangnand for the sum of
The sum of five thousand four hundred twenty-eight francs and thirteen centimes, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the preliminary sales agreement of August 13, 1859, for several parcels of land located at the place called La Chappe, with an area of approximately thirty ares and fifteen hundred centimes, to be used to regularize the site on which the said slaughterhouse is to be built.
Payment for this acquisition and its construction costs will be provided for by means of the loan of three hundred thousand francs that the city is authorized to contract under the law of July 18, 1860, cited below.
Article 3
The following will be collected at the said slaughterhouse: as a site fee.
For slaughtered oxen, cows, calves, sheep, ewes, goats, pigs, and sows, the tax is 0.02 francs per kilogram of net meat.
For the cooking of beef and cow offal, the tax is 0.50 francs per kilogram.
For the cooking of veal, mutton, and ewe offal, the tax is 0.05 francs per kilogram.
For rendering tallow, the tax is 5 centimes per kilogram.
The weight of the meat for tax collection will be established according to the indications contained in the draft tariff attached to the hasty deliberation of the municipal council of February 19, 1859, namely:
Oxen and cows: 60 percent of their net live weight; calves: 65 percent; sheep and ewes: 50 percent; pigs: 75 percent.
This tariff will be revised and reduced as soon as the tax revenue has covered the reimbursement.
of the loan of three hundred thousand francs, and, at the latest, by the end of the nineteenth year following its implementation.
Article 4
The commissioning of the public slaughterhouse in Bourges will automatically entail the closure of private slaughterhouses in the town. However, residents who raise pigs for their own consumption may still have them slaughtered on their premises, provided that this is done in a building separate from the public thoroughfare.
Article 5
This authorization is granted subject to the right of the administration to collect and carry out, at any time, any measures and works it deems necessary in the interest of public health.
Article 6
Our Minister Secretary of State for the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works and our Minister Secretary of State for the Department of the Interior are each responsible, within their respective jurisdictions, for the implementation of this decree.
Done at the Tuileries Palace, May 11, 1861,
Signed: Napoleon.
By the Emperor:
The Minister Secretary of State for the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works
Signed: E. Roucher
For amplification: The Councillor of State, Secretary General
Signed: de Boureuillie
For certified copy: The Prefectural Councillor, Secretary General,
Signed: G. G. Martin.
For certified copy:
The Mayor of the City of Bourges.
Property of the Departmental Archives of Cher County.
Les anciens abattoirs de Bourges
Scalding rooms
Scalding rooms are technical spaces where carcasses, particularly pig carcasses, are immersed in hot water to facilitate the removal of bristles. This essential step, governed by precise rules, illustrates the evolution towards more efficient and hygienic practices.
Melting pots
The rendering rooms and the tripe processing area are dedicated to the transformation of fats and the preparation of offal. These spaces illustrate the complete valorization of the animal, essential to the economy and the supply of meat products.
Tollgate
The tollgate marks the entrance to the public slaughterhouse, on the border between the city and the industrial area. Animals are declared, inspected, and counted here before being admitted, while slaughter-related taxes are collected. Serving as both an administrative and sanitary station, it manages the flow of animals and ensures the site's hygiene.
Stables
The stables and barns housed the horses of the butchers and employees. Essential for transporting meat, they ensured the mobility and efficiency of the slaughterhouse's activities, illustrating the central role of animal traction in the city.
Sheepfolds
The cattle pen and sheepfold house cattle and sheep before slaughter. They allow the animals to be organized, to rest after transport and to prepare for handling, with a view to managing flows and sanitary quality.
Livestock market
The livestock market is a place of exchange where breeders, traders and butchers buy and sell animals. Located near the slaughterhouse, it facilitates supply, reduces travel and contributes to sanitary organization.
Hover/tap the points to display the effect.
Water and sanitation systems
One of the essential elements for the operation of the slaughterhouse is water. The site is designed to allow for constant cleaning of the areas, thanks to a network of pipes and taps ensuring rapid and abundant distribution.
The slightly sloping floors facilitate the flow of liquids towards drainage systems. This focus on sanitation demonstrates how central hygiene has become to the design of this type of facility.
Technical equipment for slaughtering
The internal facilities are designed to make operations more efficient and controlled. The slaughter pens are equipped with restraint systems to immobilize the animals, while devices such as winches and pulleys facilitate the handling of carcasses.
All of this equipment demonstrates a commitment to streamlining the work and improving working conditions.
Circulation spaces and the organization of flows
The organization of the slaughterhouse is not limited to the buildings themselves; it also relies on precise traffic management. The main entrance, marked by a wide gate and flanked by administrative pavilions, opens onto a large central courtyard.
This space allows for the efficient distribution of the different work areas and avoids unnecessary contact between animals, workers, and products. This organizational logic reflects a well-developed approach to ensuring smooth movement within the facility.
Ancillary spaces and the valorization of by-products
The slaughterhouse is not limited to the slaughter of animals. It also includes numerous ancillary areas for processing by-products: tallow rendering plants, scalding rooms, incinerators, and waste pits.
These facilities allow for the recovery of certain materials and the management of waste, thus preventing its accumulation and the resulting nuisances.
A coherent architectural ensemble
Beyond its utilitarian function, the Bourges slaughterhouse is designed as a structured and harmonious whole. The buildings are arranged symmetrically around a clear overall plan, with overhanging roofs providing practical shelter.
This layout reflects a desire to reconcile efficiency, robustness, and aesthetics, at a time when even industrial buildings were beginning to be the subject of genuine architectural consideration.
Like if it were yesterday
Three photographs of the slaughterhouses, taken towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
They have been retouched and colorized using artificial intelligence. This colorization is based on precise research and study of the materials used in the slaughterhouse complex and the city of Bourges. Even though the final work is done using a generative algorithm, allowing for a photorealistic rendering, the entire research phase is conducted traditionally. Whether it involves archival research, on-site examination, or comparative analysis with other sites, nothing is left to chance.
This is Bourges, as life might have been 120 years ago.
