Now where was I, ah yes, we had just walked into Place du Capitole in search of a market only to discover that it had been replaced by an ice rink. Dear to my own heart as memories of my youth at Durham ice rink came flooding back. Here in Toulouse the open air rink appears every winter for the entertainment of young and old. I was pleased to see a children's play area at one end where parents could entertain their children on 'seal' sledges or learn to skate in safety. An ample selection of skates for hire meant that the main rink was populated by all age groups some skating alone, others in groups all with happy smiles as the background music encouraged a holiday atmosphere. Alas my skating days are over so I retired to a restaurant where I could sit and watch the goings on in the square whilst enjoying my Sunday lunch French style.
Whilst sitting having my lunch, and I must admit to picking a table close to the outdoor heater I am not that hardy, I was idly people watching when I noticed a crowd control barrier in front of the entrance to the Mairie de Toulouse building. A policewoman was on duty and lots of people seamed to be casually wandering in and out. This led me to wonder if there was a courtyard inside and that the Sunday market was held there. I took a photograph of the entrance which you can see in the album but my attention was diverted by the arrival of coffee at a table near me. I just had to ask permission of the diners to take a photograph before they enjoyed their feast of sweet delight. Just don't count the calories!
I wandered across to ask the policewoman what was happening and to my delight was informed that people can visit the Capiole building home of the Mairie de Toulouse so in I went. I should point out at that there is, in fact, no Sunday market, it is held on several days during the week including Saturday. I also discovered that one can only visit the chamber of the Mairie on a particular public holiday in September, apparently this applies to the whole of France. My first view was of the imposing inner courtyard, the oldest part of the current structure dating back to the 17th century. One can imagine the horses and carriages arriving with the judges and other town burgers. The stone portal houses a monument to Henri IV built in 1607. The marble statue shows the king in armour bearing a crown of laurels. By contrast a plaque to his godson, the Duke of Montmorency lies on the ground below commemorating his execution in 1632 for lèse-majesté whilst Governor of Languedoc. He had fallen foul to the the jealousy of the infamous Cardinal Richelieu.
Entering through the rather mundane doors I was taken aback by the imposing marble staircase and the huge murals when I entered. The stairwell was built in 1886 but the murals were painted in the early 20th century by Jean-Paul Laurens and his sons. The building, along with Toulouse in general, has been undergoing a face lift over the past 100 years or so restoring its former grandeur. It would appear that "off with his head" when applied to the nobility did not result in the starkness of the Chinese and other revolutions. A bust of Jean Jaurés (1849-1914), the visionary socialist leader, sits at the bottom of the staircase. Jaurés was born in Castres near Toulouse and taught at Toulouse University when not pursuing politics becoming the youngest Deputy in France. This bust reflects the themes of the rest of the building displaying links with Toulouse in art, theatre, politics, and patriotism.
Ascending to the first floor I pass through the ornately carved wooden doors bearing the initials 'RF', I have yet to find out what they stand for. The end of the 19th century saw the start of a major campaign to restore and complete the Capitole. The great painters of the time, all associated with Toulouse, decorated the various state rooms. The first I entered to my left is the 'Salle Gervais'. The initials 'RF' are repeated above the door here too. This room reflects the joys of love and marriage far removed from the conventional decor of civil marriage ceremonies. The murals on the right reflect love at 20, 40 and 60. I was taken aback by the sheer scale of the works adorning walls and ceilings with ornate lighting and gold leaf accents. I was to discover that the whole of the Capitole is decorated in such a fashion. This was not what I had expected at all for a 'town hall'.
Moving along into 'Salle Henri-Martin where murals reflect the passage of time in the countryside and city of Toulouse. In all of my travelling it astounds me that I can still be overwhelmed by a new find and this building endorsed this feeling. This room takes us down the right side of the upper floor towards 'Salle des Illustres' which spans the whole wing of the building above the Council Chambers. Again the scale of the paintings are dramatic in themselves. Above busts of notable sons of Toulouse adorn the walls. In the paining on the right Jean Jaurésn is seen wearing his straw boater.
The 'Salle des Illustres' employed twenty painters and sculptors from Toulouse under the guidance of the architect Paul Pujol to create a homage to art, culture and defence of the Fatherland. Not an inch of space is wasted and the overall effect takes the breath away. The 'Sistine Chapel' of Toulouse as it were. Great deeds of Toulouse's history are reflected here. At one end the mural depicts Pope Urban II entering the city in 1095 to summon the Count of Toulouse to take part in the first crusade to the Holy Land. At the other the mural evokes the defence of the city and victory of Raymond VI over Simon de Montfort, killed in 1218 by the projectile from a catapult. A series of paintings depict the defence of France in various conflicts throughout the ages whilst others reflect beauty and the theatre. Complementary life size sculptures depict the famous sons and daughters of Toulouse too.
I emerge from the Capitole to find that life goes on in the square. Though it is cold and raining, buskers abound, some entertaining, some not so much. A punch card barrel organ entertains on the corner, worth a couple of euros I think. I return to the metro and head back to the hotel, it is too cold and wet for further exploration today. Arriving back at Matabiau I take the wrong tunnel and emerge at the other side of the station. Never mind this gives me a view across the tracks and as I walk over the road bridge close up views of the station itself and the adjacent Canal du Midi before crossing to return to my hotel. I hope that you have enjoyed the day out with me. I have added the photographs to my
Toulouse photo album and also created a separate one should you wish to see only the photos of
Toulouse Capitole. One again my apologies for the slow progress but it takes some time to create these albums as Google moves the goal posts yet further away.
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