Roman Tolosa
Toulouse is one of the major cities in southwestern France and the historical capital of Languedoc.
Its distinctive architectural style, characterised by its pinkish-red terracotta bricks and tiles, has earned it its other nickname: La Ville Rose – The Pink City. The Romans introduce the use of brick as a building material in the 1st century AD. The city was called Tolosa and was part of the Narbonensis province.
Tolosa was built on clay terraces formed by the retreat of the Garonne River after the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. Stone was scarce around Tolosa, but clay was plentiful. The Romans extracted clay from the nearby hills of Jolimont and Pech-David. This clay, rich in iron oxide, took a pinkish hue when fired.
They used it to make bricks, locally called foraine bricks, as well as canal-type roof tiles. These materials were not only economical and easy to produce, but they also offered good insulation and were environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, only a few remains of this ancient city have survived the centuries.
A pink city built by the affluent merchants of blue pastel
For generations, pinkish-red bricks were used not only for the construction of the city’s houses, but also for the building of religious and administrative structures.
This distinctive pink brick architecture gave rise to the Romanesque and Languedoc Gothic styles. Among the most remarkable examples are the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, one of the largest Romanesque buildings in Europe, and the church of the Jacobins Conven.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Toulouse, the Pink City, established itself as a major centre for the pastel trade.
This trade enriched the city’s merchants, who built sumptuous private mansions and official buildings to display their social status. Even today, Toulouse boasts some of the most magnificent private residences in Europe.
Capitole de Toulouse
The city magistrates also commissioned the construction of sumptuous private mansions that still contribute to Toulouse’s architectural heritage. Known as capitouls, they were elected annually by the arrondissements (districts) to form the municipal council, which governed Toulouse from the 12th century until the French Revolution.
Their seat, Le Capitole was built in 1190, and remodelled in the 17th century, while retaining its striking pinkish-red bricks facade embellished with various symbolic features. The eight marble columns supporting the pediment represent the eight capitoulats, or arrondissements, of Toulouse. The white stone comes from Béleze-en-Comminges in the Pyrenées mountain range, while the cream-colored limestone comes from Agen, and the sandstone comes from Carcassonne and the Pech-David hill. Today, this remarkable building houses Toulouse’s city hall and the Capitole Theatre.
In the 19th century, Toulouse’s architectural landscape underwent a major transformation when the Virebent family introduced the first terracotta facade ornaments, which can still be found on many of the city’s buildings today. In the following years, the pinkish-red bricks fell out of favour, briefly replaced by yellow bricks.
The Pink City
Toulouse is a city of colour! The combination of bricks and architectural details creates a palette of hues that transform throughout the day. Pink in the morning, they turn purple under the midday sun and take on a deep purple tint at dusk, when the sun disappears behind the rooftops.
Amazingly, the nickname Ville Rose (Pink City) appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, on the cover of a brochure from the Toulouse tourist office.
Today, Toulouse, the Pink City, is the fourth largest city in France after Paris, Marseille, and Lyon, and enjoys a vibrant atmosphere thanks to its status as a lively university town. Founded in 1229 by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, the university was closed during the French Revolution before reopening in 1896.
Toulouse is also a European hub for the aerospace industry, home to Airbus.
Finally, let’s not forget that Toulouse is also famous for its rugby team, Stade Toulousain, and its culinary specialities, such as cassoulet and sausage, and of course, its iconic violets, which earned it the other nickname La Cité des Violettes!
Department of Haute-Garonne
Coordinates: Lat 43.604652 – Long 1.444209
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Header by Marc souviro CC BY-SA 2.5 – Capitole by Ceridwen CC SA 1.0 – Timber framed house and Basilique St Sernin by FrDr CC BY-SA 4.0 – Amphitheatre by Lhaw 31 CC BY-SA 3.0
