There is something magical waking up in Toulouse. I emerge from my apartment in the Saint-Etienne district, one of three that makes up the historic Toulouse center, and walk outside. I am immediately greeted by blue skies, briskly moving white clouds in the wind (Toulouse gets almost 300 windy days per year, a result of its location between the Mediterranean and Atlantic), and pink brick facades. I smile.
I head out, walking along narrow streets that are mostly – not totally but mostly – car free, allowing time to gaze around at the beauty. Church towers from the 12th century, three story facades from the 16th… all are done in pink brick, and all are set off beneath the blue skies.
I’m joined by many others as I walk. Toulouse is a young city, a city of students and young professionals, a city growing in size and importance. It seems nobody is in a hurry, despite the obvious fact that many are headed to their jobs or classes. But even on a weekday morning, the parks and gardens in the city center are well populated, the cafes likewise. And if the day ends up pretty, the riverfront of the Garonne will be packed with lunch picnickers.
This is a city I’ve come to love over the course of my month here. And the beauty of the center, where Toulouse truly earns its nickname of the Pink City, is one of the main reasons why.
Even if the brick buildings were new, they would be stunning. But the fact that most of the center dates back at least 500 years (some buildings are original; some are reconstructions with similar facades to keep with the motif) makes it that much more special. History and beauty combine in a way that brings out both of them.
We’ve spoken a bit about the history of Toulouse via visiting the Capitole, the political center of the city (click here to read about that), and the city’s historic churches that mark its role as a place of pilgrimage (click here to read about those). Today, let’s fill in a few gaps.
Beyond a few churches and the original Capitole, most of what is here in Toulouse dates from after the city became part of France in 1249, after Count Raymond VII died without an heir. Already a religious pilgrimage site, Toulouse cemented its place as a major city of learning over the following couple of centuries. The University of Toulouse had more than 10,000 students by the 16th century.
The city’s major monastic orders supplemented the university. Two of the huge convent complexes still stand and can be visited today. The Dominican Convent of the Jacobins is set up as a church, allowing visitors to see what monastic life would have been, and we visited that one in the churches article linked above. The second, the Augustine Convent, is now one of the city’s best art museums.
The collection at the Musee des Augustins is part fine art and part historical artifact, housed in a stunning brick (of course) complex that dates to 1310. It sits on Rue de Metz, the street that divides the two major districts of the city center, Capitole in the north and Saint-Etienne in the south, and its octagonal tower is one of my favorite morning sights.
While the fine art portion is lovely, it is the historical artifact collection that is more impressive, highlighted by one of the most beautiful and innovative exhibits I’ve ever seen. Dozens (over a hundred I think) of old column capitals have been set up here, taken from some of Toulouse’s old ruined churches. Each is unique; each is incredible. Signage is in French and English.
It is just one instance of Toulouse’s impressive push to preserve the city’s history, repurposing old and beautiful buildings as public spaces.
With plague arriving in the 17th century, Toulouse became a major regional hospital center. Two huge facilities on the opposite side of the Garonne (the Hotel Dieu and La Grave) “hosted” thousands of plague patients, acting as combination hospital and jail, a trend that would continue after the plague with the involuntary – albeit free – medical incarceration of people with “illnesses” ranging from leprosy to prostitution. Yes, prostitution was considered an illness of the soul, and women with no other options were taken into custody for treatment that often included assault.
To learn about this, we head to the chapel at La Grave. We cross the Pont Neuf, the oldest remaining bridge over the Garonne, dating to 1632, to the neighborhood of St. Cyprien. While this was originally just a hospital area kept separate from the city on the other side of the river, as Toulouse grew it became one of the major focuses of expansion. (Later growth would see Toulouse stretch further along the river as well as crossing the Canal du Midi to the east.)
The dome of the chapel is one of Toulouse’s most iconic images, although it’s a relatively recent addition from the 18th century. But inside is a collection of signs and interactive screens (including one inside the confessional) giving information about the hospital complex (La Grave itself opened in 1197) and some of the patients/victims it once held.
Just down the street, visitors to St. Cpyrien can see one of the other reasons the district grew, epically being across the river from the main city center. Les Abattoirs, today Toulouse’s primary modern art museum, was once the city’s slaughterhouse back in the 19th century. While I don’t find the collection incredibly compelling, the commitment of Toulouse to repurposing of these sites is admirable.
Back across the Garonne, one can see evidence of the city as it grew and money flowed in. Walking around and gazing into the courtyards of palaces – most now residential flats – offers glimpses at the lives of some of Toulouse’s elite in the 16th century when these were single family homes.
One stands out. The Hotel d’Assezat was built in 1562 for Pierre Assezat, a wealthy merchant and member of the Capitouls. After his death in 1581, it changed hands several times before being acquired by the foundation of renowned art collector Georges Bemberg in 1994.
The Bemberg Foundation is probably the best pure fine art collection in Toulouse, with exhibits ranging from religious artwork to the impressionists and beyond, highlighted by the largest privately owned collection by Pierre Bonnard, Bemberg’s favorite.
While the inside of the building has mainly been converted into a pure museum, the facade is well maintained, so it does offer a bit of a feel of being in a palace. And the collection is rather great, not too big as to be unapproachable and able to be seen in its entirety in a couple of hours.
Even forgetting about these wonderful repurposed historic spaces, the Toulouse center is just a joy to wander. Some buildings are obviously older, wooden timbers showing through the brick. Others have cool – brick – towers. All are beautiful, and they give the city a completely unique feel. And with frequent signs in both French and English offering historic maps and tidbits, it’s exciting to take a new path each time.
I love this city. Every morning I wake up in Toulouse I smile, excited that I get to exit my small apartment to the beauty of France’s Pink City. The center is stunning and it is historic, a terrific way to preserve a place that I will forever count among my favorites.
You will too.
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