City of the month

Toulouse

History

A Legend

"Ô Toulouse ! Depuis le Pont Neuf jeté sur le fleuve indiscipliné, la ville rose hérissée de clochers…" Claude NOUGARO.

Toulouse and Music :
It was Lully’s son-in-law who, in 1687, was granted the right to found a Royal Academy of Music in Toulouse, initially in a real-tennis hall, then in a former inn. The people of Toulouse have a reputation for being a passionate and very demanding audience. They would not have hesitated in the 19th century to boo inadequate singers to the point of making them apologise!
Musical life centres on the Théâtre du Capitole which was built on to the architectural complex of the City Hall after 1736. The town councillors then decided to create a “salle de jeux de spectacle” an auditorium for the performance of the first comic operas such as Pergolesi’s Les Trois Sultanes. Making a loss and having fallen into disrepair, it was not until the mid 19th century that the Capitole underwent a renaissance. It was during this period that the “legend” of the Toulouse Capitole was born. The theatre boasted one of the first gas lighting installations and was able to seat around 2000 people! The well-informed audience came in their droves and local talents (such as the bass Merly or the baritone Roudil…) appeared on stage. This period of glory came to an end on 10 August 1917, when the auditorium caught fire. The Capitole reopened in 1923 to offer a more varied programme including variety shows and operettas as well as hosting the local premières of Pelléas et Mélisande and Boris Godunov. The musical seasons did not diminish during the Second World War in spite of the curfew. They even extended over twelve months, proof of the independent nature of the people of Toulouse!
Michel Plasson was appointed to lead the Orchestre de Toulouse in 1968 and then became the artistic director of the Théâtre du Capitole. He gave the musical life of Toulouse a new impetus and arranged the conversion of the former Halle aux Grains (covered market) with its exceptional acoustics. The auditorium holds an audience of up to 3000 and is also used as a recording studio.

Toulouse les Orgues every year organises a genuine festival based on the organ. Drawing on its organ heritage including that of Saint-Sernin, the festival includes nearly sixty events in Toulouse and in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Date: 4-20 October 2002, See calendar for the programme.

-For the last 27 years, the Toulouse Tourist Office has organised a summer music festival "Musique d'été" playing host to singers and musicians from all backgrounds in the town’s famous venues: the Halle-aux-Grains, the Cloître des Jacobins, the Eglise de la Daurade,…. "Musique d'été" celebrates everything from classical music, jazz, fusion music to bel canto. Music to charm every ear, from the curious amateur to the most well-informed music lover.

The town of Toulouse was founded on the site of a ford over the river called Tolosa. This major Roman colony grew up around the trade in Italian wine to become Gaul’s third town but also a major intellectual centre (where grammar and Latin were taught). It became the capital of the Visigoths in the 5th century but was then integrated into the Frankish kingdom by Clovis to stand as a rampart against Arab conquest. After Charlemagne, it gradually gained independence and became an earldom with an intense religious life. One of the largest courts in Europe was to be found here, which owed its reputation to Langue d’oc literature and the Occitanian troubadours.
It was the Cathar heresy that enabled royalty to regain its ascendancy. It organised the Albigensian crusade from here by bringing in armed forces from the North. The earldom was brought back under the crown in 1271. At this point the University was set up there with the aim of spreading “orthodoxy”.
A feature of the Middle Ages in Toulouse was the remarkable rise of a middle class: the “capitouls”, an elected assembly which established itself in the administration of the town at the expense of the traditional nobility. From the 16th to the 17th century, the town experienced its golden age as a result of the trade in Woad (a blue dye) which made a considerable fortune for several families. They distinguished themselves by building turrets on either side of their mansions like the local feudal lords.
But Toulouse did not take part in the industrial revolution. Woad encountered competition from oriental products and the town lost its dynamism until the First World War. Toulouse then specialised in the manufacture of uniforms and arms. It developed the aeronautical industry and was able to diversify when the State allocated it a large-scale industrial role. Among the organisations established in Toulouse were the Office National de l’Azote (Nitrogen), the Toulouse-Dakar-Buenos Aires airmail service with Saint-Exupéry, the Société Nationale des Constructions Aéronautiques du Midi in 1939… Toulouse’s population also grew with the arrival of around 100,000 refugees from the Spanish Civil War. This influx continued during the Second World War when the town served as a point of transit to England. Toulouse today enjoys a secure cultural and economic influence. It is France’s 4th city in terms of population.

The “pink city”: the predominant colour of the Toulouse landscape is the result of a practical solution. As Toulouse was located on a plain of clay, no stone was to be found in the surrounding soil. As a consequence the convenient pink-hued “Toulouse brick” was adopted for the construction of its buildings.
The Toulouse violet, emblem of the city: the violet, a plant native to Parma, arrived in Toulouse in the 19th century. It was brought back by French soldiers after the Napoleonic wars. It made the fortune of florists and perfumers and of confectioners who crystallised the flower. In the early 20th century, up to 600,000 bouquets were being sent to Paris, Northern Europe and as far away as Canada every year!

Some Highlights :

In the surrounding area :

- The Capitole: This is the City Hall built in the 14th century by the Capitouls. It is a veritable palace with a beautiful pink façade 124 metres long. The Salle des Illustres is hung with 19th-century paintings. The Cour Henri IV owes its name to the only statue made of the King of France and Navarre when he was alive. The eight marble columns, designed in 1750, symbolise the eight town councillors.

- Private mansions: In the flourishing woad period (16th century), the wealthy middle classes built veritable little palaces crowned with towers such as the Hôtel de Bernuy or the Hôtel d’Assézat. This was built for Pierre d’Assézat by Nicolas Bachelier on an architectural design identical to the one used at the same time for the Cour Carrée of the Louvre with the superimposition of the three Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders. This residence now houses the museum of the Fondation Bemberg.

- The Amphitheatre, in which gladiator games were held until the very end of the 4th century, is the only ancient Roman building of Toulouse still visible in its entirety. The Musée Saint-Raymond houses an exhibition on the archeological finds and the history of this site.

- The Croix du Languedoc: emblem of Toulouse and its region. Toulouse historians of the 16th and 17th centuries ascribed a very ancient origin to the Toulouse Cross. Originally it was a single sun wheel with twelve spokes. The new cross, 18 metres across, in the centre of the Place du Capitole was designed by Raymond Moretti: the pencil stroke of the artist is represented by strips of untreated bronze, the original design of the cross being in polished bronze. Each ball symbolises the points of the compass, the 12 months of the year, the 12 hours of the day and the 12 signs of the zodiac.

- The Basilique N-D de la Daurade: originally a pagan temple then a Benedictine monastery, it became a church dedicated to the Virgin lined with a decoration made up of tiny pieces of mosaic on a gold leaf background that gave it its name: "Deaurata" (gilded). A basilica with a single nave lined with chapels, it contains an extraordinary Black Virgin of which the people of Toulouse are particularly fond.

- The Basilique Saint-Sernin: the largest Romanesque church in the West, built in the second half of the 11th century. It houses the Tomb of St Saturnin, a Christian martyr from the year 250 AD, and this makes it a significant stage on the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela. The crypt of the Basilica contains many relics. Here you can see 19th-century chalices and ciboria, as well as the altar table, 11th- and 12th-century capitals and tympana. It is one of the most significant jewels of Romanesque art.

- The Church and Cloister of Les Jacobins: An absolute jewel of Languedoc Gothic art, the Church of Les Jacobins is dedicated to Saint Thomas of Aquinas and is part of the former Dominican monastery. In this entirely brick-built construction, there is a spectacular contrast between the massive, not to say austere appearance of the exterior and the extraordinary lightness of the interior: a double nave separated by columns from which diagonal rib vaults soar to a height of 28 metres which end in radiating ribs of a gigantic ‘palm-tree’. The building vibrates with shimmering colours. This luminous atmosphere reflects the aspirations of a new generation of Preaching Friars who, while observing the vow of humility of St Dominic, founder of their order, imposed a new aesthetic at the end of the 18th century.

First we will mention a number of villages or medieval towns, major religious or military centres:

- Carcassonne, a large fortified town,
see the website www.carcassonne.org ou www.carcassonne.culture.fr

- Cordes, a remarkable perched village, known as the town “of a hundred ogives”

- Conques, Najac, Saint-Cirq Lapopie, Albi, Montauban, Cahors…

Prepare your itinerary with the help of www.visit-midi-pyrenees.com.

- The Canal du Midi: this was built under Louis XIV and represents a technical feat of the Age of Enlightenment. Two metres deep, it runs for 240 kilometres from Toulouse to Agde; it is listed as a World Heritage site by Unesco. On it you will come across interesting architectural works such as the locks at Aygues Vives or Négra Ponts…
See www.ot-toulouse.com, under the heading “balades” or “walking in the area”.…

- The Cathar castles: it is possible to go rambling from castle to castle over 12 stages across the Pyrenees: Aguilar, Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens, Puivert, Montségur, Roquefixade and Foix… A trail of nearly 200 kilometres marked on IGN maps and waymarked, an equivalent horse-riding trail is planned.

- The Wine Route: for a tour of producers of the Midi-Pyrénées region, from Cahors to Madiran, from Gaillac to Fronton, prepare your itinerary with the help of the website : www.pauillac-medoc.com

Food & Drink

Traditional customs

Gastronomy
- Cassoulet: Pan-fried pork rinds, heel of ham, haricot beans, carrots, onions, Toulouse sausages and duck conserve are presented in an earthenware dish… Excellent accompanied by a Fronton wine.
- Duck Foie Gras: this is produced from the Mulard duck, which is a cross between a Barbary drake and a Peking duck. Wines: Hypocras from Tarascon-sur-Ariège or Tariquet from Eauze.
- Aillade : a sauce often served with fillet of duck breast in which several walnut halves and garlic cloves are ground in a mortar, doused with walnut oil and sometimes seasoned with a pinch of curry powder.
- Salted liver: pork liver in the Tarn style, diced and fried in vinegar with slivers of radish.
- Respounjous: a variety of asparagus from the Tarn which takes the form of tangled stems. Often served scalded with fried lardons, hard-boiled eggs and vinegar, their taste is somewhat bitter.
- Roquefort : produced in the rocky caves of the Larzac region, a soft-veined blue cheese famed for its smooth flavour, to be eaten cold… it calls for a robust wine.
- Aligot : a speciality from the Aveyron region, based on potatoes mixed with cheese (tomme de Laguiole) and garlic.
- Croustade : puff pastry alternated with layers of potatoes and sprinkled with Armagnac.
- Garbure : a stew made with cabbages from the Hautes-Pyrénées, vegetables of all kinds combined with ground pork rinds and a ham bone, a true main course!

Not forgetting two Toulouse delicacies:
- Violet: crystallised violets, chocolate with violets or violet liqueur, ganache, violet fruit jelly…
- Brique: a sweet consisting of praline-flavoured paste, known as a “brique rose” or “brique du Capitole”.

Wines
It is not really possible to talk of wines in the region as a unit as the soils, landscapes, grape varieties and sunshine levels vary from one end of the region to another. This little map of wines may help you to find your way among them.

Hautes-Pyrénées
Madiran: a generous red wine based on the Tannat grape which goes well with game.
Pacherenc de Vic-Bilh a white wine produced from the “Arrufiat”, “Courbu” and “Manseng” grape varieties. A mouthful of honey resulting from very late harvesting which produces a syrupy wine.

Gers
Côtes de Saint-Mont: found to the east of the département since the Roman invasion. Based on the “Tannat” grape, Tariquet is produced in d’Eauze in the Bas-Armagnac region with grape varieties used for brandy, an almost effervescent wine that goes well with foie gras au torchon.
Armagnac: Vineyards at Folle Blanche, Colombard, Ugni and Bacos Blancs. This amber brandy, said to be the drink of the musketeer, is the perfect way to end any meal of regional fare. More than just a digestive, it sets a seal of harmony.

Aveyron
Marcillac: produced from the vine varieties grown to the north of Rodez, it is made from “Fer Servadou” grapes. A red wine that is drunk young and goes well with an Aligot.

Haute-Garonne
Fronton: based on the “Négrette” grape variety which was brought back by the Crusaders. These wines produced north of Toulouse, on the edge of the Tarn-et Garonne region, have a fruity bouquet. Excellent with a Sunday serving of Cassoulet.

Lot
Cahors: this was the wine the popes used at mass. Based on the black “Cot” grape, known locally as Auxerrois, “Merlot”, black “Jurançon” and Tannat. There are two terroirs: the Causse and the Terraces of the Lot Valley. Wines that go very well with cooked meats.

- Rugby, a sport of artistry:

Every last town in Gascony or Languedoc has its team, its supporters, its banquets.
Compared with the coarse rugby of the Ariège mountains, Toulouse has become a legend by accumulating 15 championship of France titles over the last century.
The Toulouse Stadium recently celebrated its hundredth anniversary

Things to Do

Musées
- Fondation Bemberg : Monsieur Bemberg devoted his life to music and literature, but also to building up the collections housed in the Hôtel d'Assézat. The museum consists of two parts. The first one (classical art) contains objects and paintings from the Renaissance to the 17th century, including François Clouet, Cranach, Pieter de Hooch, Longhi, Veronese and Tintoretto. The second part (modern art) includes the French school with Monet, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Dufy, Matisse, the Impressionist, Pointillist and Fauvist movements... The Foundation also has a unique set of paintings by Bonnard.
Hôtel d’Assézat, Tel : +33 (5) 61 12 06 89.
See : www.fondation-bemberg.fr
- Les Abattoirs : now the region’s modern art gallery - Espace d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Toulouse et Midi-Pyrénées. The collection comprises over 2000 works of art, paintings, sculptures, photos and engravings, covering Abstract Expressionism, Primitive Art, Art Informel, Arte Povera, Figuration Libre, Support-Surface and Trans-avant-garde…
76 allée Charles de Fitte. Tel : +33 (5) 62 48 58 00.
See : www.lesabattoirs.org
- Musée du vieux Toulouse : housed in a 17th-century mansion, it contains artefacts reflecting the historical and artistic heritage of Toulouse.
7 rue du May. - Tel : +33 (5) 62 27 11 50.
- Musée Labit : Located in a Moorish building on the peaceful banks of the Canal du Midi, this is the first museum of History devised in the 19th century in Toulouse. The establishment offers one of the most complete panoramas of the art of India, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Tibet, Nepal and of course China and Japan over three millennia.
43 rue des martyrs de la libération.
Tel : +33 (5) 61 22 21 84.
- Couvent des Agustins : this is one of the finest monastic buildings in the region and a listed historic building. The museum has on display sculptures and paintings from the beginning of the Middle Ages to the early 20th century.
See : www.augustins.org/dynaccueil.htm

Hôtels
- Hôtel des Beaux Arts (4*) : a very beautiful hotel tucked away in the Arts and Literature district on the banks of the Garonne.
1 place du Pont neuf. Tel : +33 (5) 61 23 40 50. Fax : +33 (5) 61 22 02 27.

- Hôtel des Capitouls (4*) : the former residence of a ‘capitoul’ in a narrow street in the centre, a stone’s throw from the street of the former fish market, down a passage away from the bustle of the town.
22 Descente de la Halle aux poissons. Tel : +33 (5) 34 31 94 80. Fax : +33 (5) 35 31 94 81.

- Grand Hôtel de l’Opéra (4*) : in the heart of Toulouse, opposite the theatre, it is a former 17th –century monastery. 50 rooms.
1 place du capitole. Tél : +33 (5) 61 21 82 66. Fax : +33 (5) 61 23 41 04. www.grand-hotel-opera.com

- Crowne Plaza (4*) : in the centre of Toulouse, on Place du Capitole. 162 rooms.
Tel : +33 (5) 61 61 19 19. Fax : +33 (5) 61 23 79 96. www.crowneplaza.com/toulouse

- Hôtel Palladia (4*) : a hotel of contemporary design and harmonious décor, 5 mins from the heart of the old city of the Capitouls, the international airport and Toulouse’s aeronautics industrial complex - Blagnac. 90 rooms and suites with terraces.
271 avenue de Grande-Bretagne. Tel : +33 (5) 62 12 01 20. Fax : +33 (5) 62 12 01 21.
www.hotelpalladia.com

Restaurants conseillés :
- Le Coq Hardi : warmly decorated in green and red, Vichy check... The fare is traditional but everything is home made and served in generous helpings! Several menus (with a vast choice) are available at around 15/20 euros. Worth a special mention are the foie gras salad with apple stuffed with bilberries and the trilogy of duck dishes (preserve, half-fillet and strips of breast known as aiguillettes). Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings.
6 rue Jules Chalandes. Tel : +33 (5) 61 21 61 01.

- La Ciboulette : traditional and very French cuisine with its cassolette of scallops in lobster sauce, roast lamb cutlets and preserved lemon sauce or veal kidneys in port; finally for dessert fine apple tart and crème brulée. Very sophisticated with outdoor tables available.
31, rue de la chaine, Tel : +33 (5) 61 21 55 33.

- Le Bruit qui court : this has an utterly delightful and intimate vaulted brick cellar. Regional Gascon food is served as well as traditional dishes based on snails, mushrooms, scallops, a fish parillada… the choice is vast, with something to suit every taste !
11, rue Jean Suau, Tel : +33 (5) 61 23 68 38.

- Les Caves de la Maréchale : regional dishes but not overwhelmingly so, an always pretty sophisticated cuisine and a superb setting – a large cellar built of traditional brick – characterise this famous Toulouse address.
3, rue Jules Chalande, Tel : +33 (5) 61 23 89 88

- Le Renfort du Palais : its cuisine is original (generally Provençal), produced well and at very reasonable prices; an example of what you can eat here: Menu Provençal for 15/17 euros ... Very pleasant red-brick décor and attractive seating in a very friendly atmosphere. Everything is home made, down to the smoked salmon.
Place du Parlement, Tel : +33 (5) 61 53 33 75

- Verjus : a restaurant specialising in wines, the menu changes regularly, a subtle mixture of tradition and unusual new ideas: mushroom soup, camembert and andouille (chitterlings) or quenelles of herring in vodka cream or fillet of perch with grapefruit... There are also always several forms of offal on the menu: boned calf’s foot, tripe, tongue... To finish: banana gratin, chocolate cake...
7 rue Tolosane, Tel : +33 (5) 61 52 06 93

- Le St-Tropez : a huge brasserie specialising in Provençal cuisine. The setting is full of light and the atmosphere rather chic but relaxed. The fare is fine, tasty and very nicely produced. A little on the expensive side.
8-10, place Victor-Hugo, Tel: +33 (5) 61 22 58 58.

- La Cave au Cassoulet : in a cultural district, a simple and warm welcome awaits you in a beautiful Renaissance-style Cellar. The special 421 menu is approximately 25 euros: based on the principle of the 421, everyone who chooses this menu is given the chance to throw 3 dice in one go. If the dice come up 155, they will be given an equivalent menu (excluding drinks) on their next visit.
54 rue Peyrolières. Tel. +33 (5) 61 13 60 30.

- La Mare aux Canards : a rustic setting, of pink bricks and exposed beams, where you will find the necessary peace and quiet to enjoy high-quality cuisine. The proximity of the Place du Capitole and its location in the midst of the narrow streets of old Toulouse, make it an essential stop.
14, rue des Gestes. Tel : +33 (5) 61 23 81 58.