300px, The Capitole back side
The Capitole de Toulouse ( oc, Capitòli de Tolosa, link=no; ), commonly known as the ''Capitole'', is the heart of the municipal administration of the
French city of
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...
and its
city hall.
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History and description
It is not the same Capitol as the one where
St Saturninus was
martyred
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
, the latter referring to the Capitoline temple of the Roman city, while the first buildings of the current Capitole were erected on this site in the 12th century.
The ''
Capitouls'' (governing magistrates) of Toulouse embarked on the construction of the original building in 1190 to provide a seat for the government of a province growing in wealth and influence. The name "Capitole" referred not only to the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
but also to the ''capitulum'', which was the chapter of the governing magistrates. It was a centre of contention during the
1562 Toulouse Riots, with Huguenot forces holding it with captured cannon.
In the first half of the 19th century, the structures surrounding the vast (2 ha) ''Place du Capitole'' were redesigned, but the current façade, 135 m long and built of the characteristic pink brick in
Neoclassical style, dates from 1750, built according to plans by
Guillaume Cammas. The eight columns represent the original eight capitouls. In 1873,
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...
built a
bell tower typical of the style of northern France on top of the
donjon
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in ...
of the building. It was in this donjon that
Jean Calas, a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
victim of a religiously-biased trial, was interrogated. Only the
Henri IV
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
courtyard and gate survive from the original medieval buildings. It was in this courtyard that the
Duke de Montmorency was decapitated after his rebellion against
Cardinal Richelieu. A thorough redesign of the ''Place du Capitole'' in 1995 reserved the space for pedestrians. Some of the interior of the ''Capitole'' can be traced back to the 16th century. Today the Capitole houses the city hall, as well as the
Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse opera company and the
Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse
The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French orchestra based in Toulouse. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. ...
. The ''Salle des Illustres'' contains 19th century works of art.
Gallery
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Le_donjon.jpg, The capitouls' former tower (1525-1530, except for the top).
Augustins_-_Dame_Tholose_-_1550_-_Jean_Rancy.jpg, Jean Rancy's ''Lady Tholose
''Lady Tholose'' (french: Dame Tholose) is the name given to a bronze sculpture from the Toulouse Renaissance, a work by the sculptor Jean Rancy and the bronze caster Claude Peilhot.
Under the features of the goddess Pallas Athena, it is an alle ...
'', 1544–1550, that served as a weather vane on the tower.
Capitole_de_Toulouse_-_Cour_Henri_IV_-_portail_de_Nicolas_Bachelier.jpg, The Renaissance portal in the courtyard (16th and 17th c.).
Portebachelier-01(1).jpg, The lower part of the portal (1546) represents Pallas
Pallas may refer to:
Astronomy
* 2 Pallas asteroid
** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas
* Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon
Mythology
* Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena
* Pa ...
, protector of the city since Roman times.
Bas-Relief_in_cour_Henri_IV.jpg, The middle part of the portal (1561) depicts enslaved prisoners.
Capitole_de_Toulouse_-_Cour_Henri_IV_-_Henri_IV_par_Thomas_Hurtamat_1607.jpg, The upper part of the portal (1602-1609) features a statue of King Henry IV.
Coat_of_arms_in_Cour_Henri_IV_Gervais_de_Mourat.JPG, The inner courtyard (1602-1606) is decorated with many coats of arms of capitouls.
Capitole-27.jpg, The main facade (1750-1760).
Coats_of_arms,_balcony_of_Capitole_of_Toulouse_10.JPG, The balconies are decorated with the coats of arms of the capitouls.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Grand_escalier_-_Raimond_VI_comte_de_Toulouse,_l'excommunié_1156-1222_-_René-Henri_Ravaut.jpg, Painting of Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, excommunicated by the Pope.
Intérieur_du_Capitole_de_Toulouse,_vers_la_Salle_des_Illustres_05.JPG, Painting of the first session of the Floral Games
Floral Games were any of a series of historically related poetry contests with floral prizes. In Occitan, their original language, and Catalan they are known as '' Jocs florals'' (; modern Occitan: ''Jòcs florals'' , or ''floraus'' ). In French ...
.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_Gervais.jpg, Gervais hall, former wedding hall.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_Gervais_-_Amour_source_heureuse_de_vie_à_vingt_ans_-_par_Paul_Gervais.jpg, Painting in Gervais hall.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_Henri-Martin_-_L'été_par_Henri_Martin.jpg, Painting in Henri Martin hall.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_des_Illustres.jpg, Hall of Illustrious.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_des_Illustres_-_Toulouse_coopérant_à_la_défense_nationale_1897_-_Jean-André_Rixens.jpg, Paintings on the ceiling of the Hall of Illustrious.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_des_Illustres_-_Apollon_et_les_Arts_1897_-_Paul_Gervais.jpg, Paintings on the ceiling of the Hall of Illustrious.
La_Couronne_de_Toulouse_1894_-_Edouard_Debat-Ponsan_-_salle_des_Illustres,_Toulouse.jpg, Paintings on the ceiling of the Hall of Illustrious.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_des_Illustres_-_L'entrée_à_Toulouse_du_pape_Urbain_II_en_1096_par_Benjamin_Constant.jpg, Painting on a wall in the Hall of Illustrious, representing Raymond IV welcoming the Pope in 1096.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_des_Illustres_-_Dura_lex,_sed_lex_ou_La_Loi,_la_Justice,_la_Vérité_(1905)_par_Paul_Gervais.jpg, Painting on a wall in the Hall of Illustrious, ''Dura lex, sed lex''.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_du_Conseil_municipal.jpg, Council Chamber.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_du_Conseil_municipal_-Toulouse_vue_du_Bazacle_-_Edmond_Yarz.jpg, Painting of Toulouse in the Council Chamber.
Capitole_Toulouse_-_Salle_du_Conseil_municipal_-_Les_vendanges_-_Henri_Bonis.jpg, Grape harvest painting in the Council Chamber.
See also
*
List of the mayors of Toulouse
*
Parliament of Toulouse
The Parliament of Toulouse (french: Parlement de Toulouse) was one of the '' parlements'' of the Kingdom of France, established in the city of Toulouse. It was modelled on the Parliament of Paris. It was first created in 1420, but definitely est ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
* .
Buildings and structures in Toulouse
Landmarks in France
Tourist attractions in Toulouse
City and town halls in France
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