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Toulouse
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Toulouse
The centre of Toulouse is at the Place du Capitole. The vast Capitole,
Toulouse's city hall, also houses a theatre and opera house. Nearby is
the Rue du Taur which leads to both the 11th-century Roman basilica St
Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in Europe, with a magnificent bell
tower, and Notre-Dame-de-Taur. Taur is the Latin word for bull and Notre
Dame de Taur was erected in the spot where martyr Saint Sernin (of the Basilica)
was buried after being dragged about Toulouse by one of those brutal beasts.
Les Jacobins is a complex of church, convent and cloister between the river
and the Capitole. The imposing brick walls suggest a fortress, but the interior
displays the Flamboyant Gothic style, celebrated for palm-tree vaulting. The
pedestrian street of Rue St Rome is nearby. Along with the noisier Rue d'Alsace-Lorraine
running parallel, these streets have the liveliest shopping.
Entering Toulouse from the south, stop a quarter of the way across the modern
Pont St Michel to admire the perspective of old Toulouse. The churches are easily
recognisable, and at sunset reflect a deep red or mauve.
The Place Esquiro 1 begins the hushed Vieux Quartier, the medieval core.
Nightlife centres about Place du Président Wilson and the Allée Roosevelt
that emanates from it. Parisian-style cafés line the pavements while outdoor
musicians provide entertainment. A new centre of activity is the Espace d'Art
Moderne et Contemporain (open noon-10pm daily; entrance fee), housed in the
abbatoirs of the revitalised St Cyprien district. Outside town is the Cité de l'Espace
(closed Mon; entrance fee), a magnificent space museum.
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