A few weeks ago, we got an excellent tour of Toulouse from our friends Marion and Samy. The weather was a bit cold, but we cruised around downtown Toulouse for just long enough to get a quick taste of the city and realize we want to spend more time exploring it. Samy and Marion were excellent tour guides and provided a wealth of information about the city and area which has helped us get better acquainted with the landscape here and given us insight into subtle parts of the French culture that we probably wouldn't have picked up for quite some time.
The Capital and surrounding buildings.
Known as the "Ville en Rose" (City in Pink), Toulouse has long been defined by the red brick that was used to construct many of it's buildings. Lacking a nearby source of natural rock, early constructors manufactured brick out of local material, which happened to have a reddish hue. The Capital building sits in the center of the city, near the Garonne River that slowly makes its way toward the Atlantic Ocean.
The Garonne has it's natural headwaters in the Pyrenees, but is also part of a waterway system that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with the help of two canal systems (The Canal Du Midi & Canal De Garonne) that were built in the 1600's. The canal project was revolutionary at the time in terms of redefining engineering principles, but also was notable due to the importance that women played in the construction and design of the waterway. Many of the women involved in the project were from towns that were former Roman bath colonies, and had an innate understanding of classical hydraulics that wasn't an integrated part of contemporary engineering at the time. With massive labor and financial resources as well as the help from the women, the canal was finally finished in 1681.
Although the canal system is no longer used for the transport of materials from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, Toulouse still is a thriving city with a diverse array of influences, attractions and offerings for the citizens and travelers alike. Facing the Capital pictured above is another building with a long covered walkway whose ceiling tiles exhibit a series of contemporary murals that show the history and defining elements of the city and surrounding area.
Pastel
This blue pigment was produced and sold in the Toulouse area, and, by the 16th century had made Toulouse the "Land of Plenty". Many of the merchants of pastel became extremely rich and used their money to build extravagant hotels and houses in the city.
Saint Dominique (1215 a.d.)
According to the plaque below the mural, Saint Dominique was a Castillian who moved to Toulouse in 1215 and founded the Dominican order in order to combat Catharism by gospel, charity and living the example of a poor life. Whether or not Saint Dominique played a role in the Inquisition is apparently a much debated topic. However, regardless of his direct role, religious tolerance during this period seemed to disappear and the Cathars were soon persecuted formally in the Albigensian Crusade that began in 1220.
Known as the "Ville en Rose" (City in Pink), Toulouse has long been defined by the red brick that was used to construct many of it's buildings. Lacking a nearby source of natural rock, early constructors manufactured brick out of local material, which happened to have a reddish hue. The Capital building sits in the center of the city, near the Garonne River that slowly makes its way toward the Atlantic Ocean.
The Garonne has it's natural headwaters in the Pyrenees, but is also part of a waterway system that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with the help of two canal systems (The Canal Du Midi & Canal De Garonne) that were built in the 1600's. The canal project was revolutionary at the time in terms of redefining engineering principles, but also was notable due to the importance that women played in the construction and design of the waterway. Many of the women involved in the project were from towns that were former Roman bath colonies, and had an innate understanding of classical hydraulics that wasn't an integrated part of contemporary engineering at the time. With massive labor and financial resources as well as the help from the women, the canal was finally finished in 1681.
Although the canal system is no longer used for the transport of materials from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, Toulouse still is a thriving city with a diverse array of influences, attractions and offerings for the citizens and travelers alike. Facing the Capital pictured above is another building with a long covered walkway whose ceiling tiles exhibit a series of contemporary murals that show the history and defining elements of the city and surrounding area.
Pastel
This blue pigment was produced and sold in the Toulouse area, and, by the 16th century had made Toulouse the "Land of Plenty". Many of the merchants of pastel became extremely rich and used their money to build extravagant hotels and houses in the city.
Saint Dominique (1215 a.d.)
According to the plaque below the mural, Saint Dominique was a Castillian who moved to Toulouse in 1215 and founded the Dominican order in order to combat Catharism by gospel, charity and living the example of a poor life. Whether or not Saint Dominique played a role in the Inquisition is apparently a much debated topic. However, regardless of his direct role, religious tolerance during this period seemed to disappear and the Cathars were soon persecuted formally in the Albigensian Crusade that began in 1220.
Montségur: The end of the Albigensian Crusade (1244 a.d.)
Toulouse was the capital of the Languedoc region when Pope Innocent III declared a holy crusade against people of the Cathar faith (a sect of Catholicism) in the early 13th century. Known as the Albigensian Crusade, this religious persecution served to massacre somewhere between 200,000 and 1 million people. The final stronghold of the Cathars lay in Montségur (about an hour east of our house), a fortified castle at the top of a tall, rocky hill. After 10 months of siege, the remaining 200+ Cathars finally surrendered and were subsequently burned alive by the Catholic crusaders.
The Spanish Civil War (1939)
The Spanish Civil War was one of the most profound events in contemporary Spanish history and was also an important element in the lead up to World War II. When the Second Republic was defeated in 1939, the Republican government installed itself in Toulouse as Francisco Franco took power in Spain and launched the country into nearly 40 years of dictatorship and oppression. As the Spanish Civil War came to a close, thousands of Spanish citizens fled persecution by seeking asylum in southern France.
Toulousians Today
Today, the identity of Toulousians is diverse, international and historically profound. Although we have just begun to learn the city and meet the people, we are excited to experience more.
