Foire à Tout and Car Boot Sale of Torigni-les-Villes

The Foire à Tout and Car Boot Sale of Torigni-les-Villes, 120 Exhibitors

Torigni-les-Villes (50160) — formerly Torigni-sur-Vire — is a town in the Manche bocage located south of Saint-Lô, the prefecture of Manche. Twice a year, in June and September, the town hosts a foire à tout and car boot sale that brings together 120 exhibitors, making this event one of the unmissable flea market gatherings in the area.

The foire à tout is a term often used in the Norman bocage to refer to a general car boot sale, where all sorts of items can be sold, without category restrictions. The 120 exhibitors in Torigni-les-Villes thus offer a very wide range: clothing, furniture, tools, books, crockery, trinkets, toys, Norman folk art objects, and various antiques.

Two Editions: June and September

Organizing the foire à tout twice a year is a wise strategy that helps to liven up the town outside the peak summer season, while also taking advantage of the good weather. The June edition benefits from the long pre-summer days and the enthusiasm of the start of the season. The September edition, at the end of summer, is often the most popular, as it corresponds to the return from holidays and the desire to sort things out before winter.

This double schedule attracts different exhibitors depending on the edition and ensures a regular income for local organizers, allowing them to finance community activities throughout the year.

Torigni-les-Villes and its Renaissance Castle

Torigni-sur-Vire, which became Torigni-les-Villes after merging with neighboring towns, is a town of history and heritage. Its Château de Torigni-sur-Vire, built in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Matignon family — one of whom became Prince of Monaco — is one of the jewels of Renaissance architecture in Normandy. Heavily damaged during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, it has been partially restored and now houses historical and museographical collections open to the public.

The town was also heavily affected by the bombings of 1944 during the Liberation, and its post-war reconstruction gave it a modern appearance that contrasts with its medieval and Renaissance heritage. The local memorial and traces of the Battle of Normandy complete the history of this town.

120 Exhibitors in a Bocage Atmosphere

The foire à tout of Torigni-les-Villes attracts visitors from Saint-Lô, Condé-sur-Vire, Tessy-Bocage, Percy, and the surrounding villages. The atmosphere is typically bocage: warm, unpretentious, with the simple pleasure of hunting for treasures in the open air in a green setting. The 120 exhibitors create an event large enough to offer a good diversity of items while maintaining the intimate atmosphere of rural events.