The Ville Rose - October 3, 2025

Place de la Trinité in Toulouse

Lonely Planet named Toulouse the top urban destination in 2025, so we were keen to see what this southern French city had to offer. We set aside this day to explore as much as we could of "La Ville Rose" (The Pink City), so named because of the extensive use of bricks of that colour as the principal building material in Toulouse for centuries.

The entire Capitole building

The Capitolium with its eight columns

We began our walk with a third visit to la Place du Capitole, the square right outside our hotel. On its east side stands the Capitole itself, a Neo-classical building with roots going as far back as the 12th century. The current pink brick structure, which spans 135 metres, was not completed until 1750, however. The centre portion, Toulouse's city hall,  has eight columns, representing the "capitouls" who governed the city during early medieval times. A young couple, likely newlyweds, was exiting the building as we approached it, but unfortunately we were not permitted to enter. Besides being the site of the city's administration, the Capitole also houses a theatre and rooms of state. 

Cafés and restaurants on Place du Capitole

Hôtel Pierre-Comère

Facing the Capitole, on the west side of the square, is another long building, constructed at about the same time, but with a plainer façade. Today it houses a row of cafés and restaurants, where locals and visitors like to gather, often under large parasols. From here, we proceeded south along Rue Saint-Rome, a historic pedestrian lane lined with former mansions and merchant buildings such as the Hôtel Pierre-Comère, the 17th century home of a wealthy resident. Today, a shop occupies its main floor, a practical way of repurposing an important building.

Half-timbered house

A small square on our route, Place de la Bourse

One of the oldest buildings on this street is the 16th century structure above. Its age can be easily ascertained by its half-timber design, although pink brick was used as infill. Because of multiple fires in Toulouse during the 15th and 16th centuries, this form of construction was abandoned in favour of even more brick, a more durable material.

La Brasserie des Beaux-Arts

Pont-Neuf

We were following a self-guided walking tour provided by an app called GPS My City, a terrific resource for travellers. Although we took a different route, we soon found ourselves back at the restaurant, La Brasserie des Beaux-Arts, where we had dined the previous evening. It is very close to Pont-Neuf, a 400 year-old bridge with an interesting design. 

Pile, guttering hole, and figurine

L'enfant au bonnet d'âne

Among its unique features are "basket-handle arches", which are wider than they are tall. Also notable are circular spaces, called guttering holes, above each pile. In one of these, Bob spotted a tiny red figurine. He zoomed in to get a better look at this little fellow, called "l'enfant au bonnet d'âne" (child with a dunce cap), an art installation by local street artist, James Colomina. We thought it was charming. 

Classical sculpture

L'École des Beaux-Arts

We were now on the Quai de la Daurade, a vibrant public space where the beautiful École des Beaux-Arts stands. Constructed in 1746, its façade is decorated with classical sculptures and the names of prominent French artists. It owes its existence to generous patrons and visionary artists. 

Classical façade of Notre-Dame de la Daurade

Left side of Notre-Dame de la Daurade 

Next to it is la Basilique de la Daurade, a stunning 19th century neo-classical structure, built on the site of one of the oldest churches in Toulouse. We accessed it through a side entrance and were very impressed by its interior, in part because it was recently restored. 

Organ and columns

The apse

The builders of this basilica envisioned it to replicate Saint Peter's in Rome, although that plan was modified during construction. Nevertheless, it is very impressive. The apse is particularly lovely. Look at the paintings, the woodwork, and the lines of the ceiling. Stunning. 

Details of the walls and ceiling

The Black Madonna

While we enjoyed the intricate details of the building, its main attraction for most visitors, particularly believers, is the shrine of the Black Madonna, a highly-revered icon in the Catholic community. The current representation of Mary and Jesus is a replica of the 15th century Madonna, which was stolen. She has been blackened by candle soot over the years. 

Manhole cover

Another manhole cover

As we walked by the river, Bob noticed the decorative manhole covers seen in the above photos. Here was a clever way of advertising local attractions, since neither of these sites was particularly close to us at the moment, but now our interest was piqued. We would see them both later in the day. 

Entrance to l'Hôtel d'Assérat

L'Hôtel d'Assérat

Next, we continued on the route suggested by GPS My City, walking east along Rue de Metz. Minutes later, we stood in front of a 16th century mansion, l'Hôtel d'Assérat, built by the top architect in Toulouse at the time. We passed through an archway into a large courtyard from which we could admire the lines of this building. Today, this grand home houses the Fondation Bemberg art gallery, but we had so much more to see that we decided not to have a look at this time.

Entrance to the Fondation Bemberg

Gorgeous doorway

Instead, we continued our tour of the city, enjoying the sights along the way. Among these were grand doors, such as the one above, which send a message of wealth to passersby. We stopped briefly at Place de la Trinité, the square in the photo that begins this post. 

Temptations

Macarons

On Rue du Languedoc, we turned right and were soon tempted by the delectable patisseries in the window of Au Poussin Bleu. It was inevitable that we would stop for sweets at some point, and this place offered us a great selection, so in we went. Not only did we purchase pastries, we also picked up some chicken curry wraps to be enjoyed at lunch time. 

Got something

The food theme continued at our next stop, le Marché de Carmes. This bustling marketplace has been home to food tradesmen for 125 years. There are over forty vendors here, selling anything and everything edible. It was fun to wander through the aisles and check what was for sale. It was also a good spot for a comfort break.

Produce for sale

Red Mullets

We were a little off the tourist route now, but we still found some historic buildings to visit. The first of these was directly across the road from Marché des Carmes. The Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin is an Italian Renaissance palace built in the 16th century as a private home.

The ornate stone entrance to Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin

Courtyard view of Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin

We entered through an ornate stone entranceway to a courtyard in order to have a look at the lovely exterior features of this mansion. (Its interior is permanently closed to the public). Most impressive are the classical sculptures that frame some of the windows. They were in perfect condition, but, sadly, other parts of this building have been neglected. An example of this is the alcove below. 

Window sculptures

Neglected alcove

A two minute walk away, we arrived at la Musée des arts précieux Paul-Dupuy, with a focus on decorative and graphic arts. Housed in yet another 17th century mansion, it contains pieces from the Middle Ages to 1939. There are drawings and prints from the best of Toulouse artists during those centuries, as well as sculptures and earthenware. 

Courtyard of the museum

Beautiful tower clock

Although he had a broad range of interests, Paul-Dupuy was particularly known for his horology collection: clocks, watches, and scientific instruments. In the courtyard is one of those pieces, a tower clock in pristine condition. Happily for Toulouse, upon his death, Dupuy left his eclectic collection to the city. 

Half-timbered building

More of the pink city

We did not enter the museum but instead, we continued walking. We were still in the historic area of Toulouse, where even the most ordinary building has a story to tell. Some, like the restaurant above, were built in the half-timber style, while others were made entirely of brick. All were lovely. 

Place Saintes-Scarbes

Street name in two languages

We soon arrived at a small square, Place Saintes-Scarbes, with a small fountain topped by a statue of a woman in its centre. It stands at the intersection of four streets. One of these, Rue Pierre de Fermat, honours a famous mathematician after whom a high school competition is named. (I remember this from my teaching career.) It is interesting to note that his name on the street marker is written in both French and Occitan, the ancient dialect of this part of France. 

Two façades

Interior portion

At the end of this street, we arrived at La Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toulouse. This medieval cathedral has roots going back to the third century but the bones of the current structure are from 1078. Since then, it has been greatly modified, suffered through a fire, and been partially destroyed during the French Revolution.

 

Beautiful stained glass

Nicely decorated chapel

Over the past hundred years, efforts have been made to harmonize the old and new parts of the cathedral, but, to be honest, its appearance is a bit of a mess. The two façades are an example of this, with one made of stone, and the other of brick. The interior is more attractive, however, with some lovely chapels, brilliant stained glass, and some pleasing lines. 

Attractive nave of the cathedral

Bicycles in the square

The cathedral occupies a prominent position in a large open area, the Square du Cardinal Jules Géraud Saliège. We turned left here, making our way back to our hotel for a midday break Our route took us past one last attraction, la Musée des Augustins, a fine arts museum. Once an Augustinian convent, it was secularized during the French Revolution. It has a fine collection, but unfortunately, it was covered in scaffolding and closed for renovations when we were there. I found a photo on the public domain of what it looks like when open. 

Musée des Augustins

Opéra National du Capitole

So, we kept going, picking up drinks at a local Carrefour, and a few minutes later, we enjoyed our lunch back at the hotel. This brief rest was all we needed before we set out again, passing through Place du Capitole yet another time on our way and stopping to take a picture of the Théâtre du Capitole, an opera house which occupies the southeast corner of the complex. 

Busy marketplace

The Donjon

When we walked behind it to the Charles de Gaulle Square, we found a bustling market place, and from this perspective, we spotted the Donjon we had seen on a manhole cover earlier in the day. From this angle it towers over the Capitole building but from the other side, it can't be seen at all. It is a very unique building, erected in 1525 to store gunpowder. Today, it is the home of the tourist office. 

I make my way to Armand Thiery.

Mary, shopping

We proceeded north from here on Rue d'Alsace-Lorraine where there are many shops, including one of my favourite chains in France, Armand Thiery. I popped in to have a look at their fall and winter line of clothes but nothing caught my eye, so we moved on. 

Beautiful balconies

Clock and allegorical figures on a post office building

This wide boulevard was planned in the 19th century and the buildings that can be found here (and on the adjacent streets) reflect that period. During France's "La Belle Époque", the concept of apartment buildings was first introduced. Bob focused on the details of these large structures, such as cast iron balconies, classical sculptures, and, at the post office, an outdoor clock. 

Tourist train in front of Notre-Dame de Taur

The cloche-mur

Since shopping wasn't going well, we returned to our first goal of the day–touring. One of those little tourist trains that other visitors take passed by us as we stood in front of Notre-Dame du Taur, a legendary church in Toulouse, since it marks the spot where Toulouse's patron saint died after being dragged by a bull (taurus is Latin for bull). This brick church was built in the Southern Gothic style, with a cloche-mur (bell tower wall), as its most notable feature. 

Chapelle des Carmelites

The ceiling

While Notre-Dame de Taur was closed to visitors, we were able to look inside the Chapel of the Carmelites, a three minute walk away. It was well worth seeing, especially for its spectacular ceiling, inspired by the Sistine Chapel. Jean-Pierre Rivals, an architect in Toulouse, painted it in 17th century; after his death, the wall frescoes were added by Jean-Baptiste Despax, one of his students. 

I take a pic of the ceiling.

La Bibliothèque Municipale d'Étude et du Patrimonie

Although the art here is the highlight, also to be admired are the oak panelling and cradle vaulting in this perfect space. I enjoyed photographing it, and Bob caught me doing so. Next door, on the grounds where the Carmelite convent was, an Art Deco library now stands, la Bibliothèque Municipale d'Étude et du Patrimonie. 

Side view of Basilique Saint-Sernin

The Miègeville Gate

A short walk from there, we arrived at one of the must-see sites of Toulouse, la Basilique de Saint-Sernin, the subject of the other manhole cover we had seen early in the day. We approached it from the side where the Renaissance Miègeville Gate was the first feature we saw. It is notable for its tympanum which depicts the Ascension of Christ. 

 Romanesque architecture

Side aisle 

We passed under this archway and entered one of the largest Romanesque buildings in the Western world. Consecrated in the late 11th century, la Basilique de Saint-Sernin is believed to have been built by the same architect who designed the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Like it, it followed the "pilgrimage plan", a style that deviated in some ways from typical churches of the time. Designed to accommodate many visiting pilgrims, Saint-Servin has an ambulatory and radiating chapels where holy relics can be viewed.

The grand 1888 Cavaillé-Coll organ

Ancient frescoes

We saw many wonders as we explored the interior of this magnificent church, some of them recent additions or discoveries. The grand 1888 Cavaillé-Coll organ which has a symphonic sound features 54 stops, three keyboards and a pedalboard. Much older are the 12th century frescoes depicting the Cycle of the Resurrection", discovered under whitewash in 1972. 

Saint-Exuperius

Wooden crucifix covered by gilded copper plating

As expected, there is a lot of iconography in Saint-Sernin. A statue of Saint-Exuperius of Toulouse, a bishop of the city in the 5th century, is located near the choir and is quite beautiful. Also lovely is a gilded wooden representation of Christ on the cross, dating from the 12th century. It stands in the north transept.

Side chapels

Part of the ambulatory

While the decor of the church adds a great deal to it, its lines are what make it stand apart from other churches of this size. There is a barrel-vaulted ceiling in the nave, and rib-vaulting supported by buttresses in the aisles; the ambulatory behind the altar features a wooden gallery.

The front of la Basilique Saint-Sernin

I stand at the side of the basilica.

We had entered the building from the side, but we exited from the front through la Porte des Comtes, where we were afforded a new perspective of the basilica. It has a rather plain brick façade, with only a circular window and a few lighter bricks adding variety to its appearance. The bell tower is interesting, however. It has five tiers, three of which were built in the 12th century, two from the 13th, and the spire from the 15th. 

Street scene near the church

Monument to Taras Chevtchenko

We were now in the vicinity of Toulouse's university where my sister had spent a semester in the 1970s. To us, this was a less attractive area than any we had seen in the city. Perhaps this is why my sister does not remember Toulouse as very beautiful. We did not linger here, but instead, we continued walking north to Jardins Compans-Caffarelli, where we stopped briefly at a memorial to Ukrainian Taras Chevtchenko, a prophet of liberty. 

Path in les Jardins Compans-Caffarelli

Pierre Baudis Japanese Garden

We were in search of a change of scene, a peaceful oasis and this is where we found one. Pierre Baudis, mayor of Toulouse from 1971-1983, was behind the creation of a Japanese Garden in this large park. He was inspired by similar spaces created in Kyoto between the 14th and 16th centuries. 

I stand beside carefully shaped trees.

Dry garden

I had visited Japan in the spring, so I was keen to bring back memories of that special country. I was pleased to see familiar features which create harmony among natural elements: a red bridge, carefully shaped trees, a dry garden, a lake, and, of course, a tea pavilion. 

Tea pavilion and lake

Inside the tea pavilion

This is not a large garden, so it did not take us long to walk through it. It was lovely though, and I am pleased we made a the effort to see it, even though it was a fifteen minute north walk to get there, and afterwards, we hiked the same distance to get back to the centre of the city. 

Canal de Brienne

Église Saint-Pierre des Cuisines

We followed a different route this time which took us next to one of Toulouse's three canals, Canal de Brienne. It was built in the 18th century to connect the Garonne River to the city's ports, a decision that brought the city great wealth and development. Across from it, we spotted the deconsecrated Église Saint-Pierre des Cuisines. It has historical significance but it is not open to the public so we moved on.

Wow!!

The Palm Tree

Ten minutes later, we arrived at the most breath-taking (former) religious site in Toulouse, the Convent of the Jacobins. Immediately upon entering this medieval masterpiece, we were struck by the immense size of the space we were in. It consists of a double nave, so designed to separate the Dominican friars from the congregants, with the two sides divided by six slender columns. A seventh column supports the vaulted ceiling of the choir, with its twenty-two ribs creating "The Palm Tree" for which the church is famous. 

Some of the side chapels

More side chapels

The building also contains twelve side chapels, six on each side, perfectly aligned with the central columns. Built in the 13th century for the Jacobins (the French nickname for the Dominicans), this church is a model of the Southern French Gothic style. Over the next 100 years, it was frequently enlarged, reaching its current form in 1341. 

Stained-glass windows

Polyptych altarpiece, "Hommage de Bernanos" by Arcabas

Today, the Convent of the Jacobins, once the mother church of the Dominicans, has been deconsecrated. Nevertheless, it still contains religious iconography in its stained-glass windows and art. Most importantly, it is the home of the relics of the most famous friar of the order, Saint Thomas Aquinas.

The Chapter House

Ceiling of the Chapel of Saint-Antonin

We paid a small fee to see the rest of the convent. (To clarify: the origin of the term "convent" refers to mendicant orders of both men and women, although today it is always associated with women only.) As a result, we were treated to more eye-pleasing architecture and art, such as the doorway to the chapter house and the ceiling of the chapel of Saint-Antonin. The latter illustrates scenes from the apocalypse in 14th century polychrome tempera paintings. 

The former refectory

A passageway in the convent

We also visited the former refectory which is now used as an event space. Nearby, the corridor leading to the friar's sleeping quarters was made of the ubiquitous pink brick for which Toulouse is famous. The exterior of the complex is made from the same material but we did not photograph it.

The cloister

The central garden of the cloister

We took several shots of the 14th century cloister, however, because like most of these tranquil spaces, it was lovely. It consists of four galleries, with double columns made of grey marble. In the centre, cypress trees reach up to the sky, while hedges create a geometric effect. 

L'Hôtel d'Assérat

Mary and lion

Needless to say, we very much enjoyed visiting the Convent of the Jacobins. This marked the end of our walking tour, but there was time for one more stop, so we returned to the Hôtel d'Assérat where the art collection of Argentinian-born Georges Bemberg is on display.

One of the rooms

Objets d'art behind glass

We entered the building with few expectations, having chosen this gallery because it was close by. Imagine our delight when we discovered the extent of this collection. During his lifetime, Bemberg amassed paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, furniture and objets d'art dating from the 15th century to WWII. 

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by Tintoretto

View of Mestre by Canaletto

The works here are displayed in chronological order in a series of rooms. We took too many photos to include here, so I have chosen only a few of them, the ones by world famous artists and sculptors. It is difficult to imagine how much this collection is worth. 

Terracotta Zeua by Domenico Pio

The Age of Bronze by Auguste Rodin

Bemberg. the son of industrialists of German origin, grew up in South America, but was steeped in French culture. A Renaissance man who was an accomplished musician and writer, he began his eclectic art collection at the age of 20 when he acquired a piece by Pissarro. In 1995, at the age of 80, and having fallen in love with the Hôtel d"Assérat, he set up the Fondation Bemberg in Toulouse, and continued to add to this collection until his death over 15 years later. His name lives on because of his generosity. 

An early Picasso

Darwin College by Camille Pisarro

Of all the artists in the collection, none is more represented than Pierre Bonnard, clearly a favourite of Bemberg, but until now, unknown to me. There are 30 of his works in the Fondation. I have since learned that Bonnard, known for his use of colour, was a leading figure of the transition between Impressionism and Modernism in the early part of the 20th century. 

Marine 1910 by Pierre Bonnard

Les pommes rouges et jaunes by Pierre Bonnard

These works by Bonnard and his contemporaries were housed in the final room of the mansion. It was a delight to lose ourselves in an art gallery at the end of a long day of touring. Tired, we made our way back to our hotel, with the only excursion ahead of us, a walk to dinner. 

La Côte de Boeuf

La Place du Capitole 

We had logged over 20 000 steps on this day, so we chose to dine at a cozy place very close to us, La Côte de Boeuf, where I enjoyed skewers of chicken and Toulouse sausage while Bob opted for a hamburger. Then, we made another trip to la Place du Capitole which was much quieter than the night before.

 

Diners in la Place du Capitole

Last shot before entering our hotel at the end of a long day

The lights of the city's main square are my final memory of this day, a day where we fell in love with Toulouse, la Ville Rose.