Early history of the site In 1190, the
Capitouls (governing magistrates) of Toulouse commissioned the original structures on the site to provide a seat for the government of a province which was growing in wealth and influence. The site was named the
Capitole by the town clerk, Pierre Salmon, in 1522 to recall the
Roman Capitol. A dungeon tower, known as
le donjon, was completed in 1530 and a
renaissance style gateway, designed by
Nicolas Bachelier, providing access to the
Henri IV courtyard, was completed in 1546. Only the Henri IV courtyard and the gateway survive from the original medieval buildings.
Le donjon was fought over during the
1562 Riots of Toulouse, with Huguenot forces holding it with captured cannons. It was in the Henri IV courtyard that
Henri de Montmorency, 4th Duke of Montmorency was decapitated after his rebellion against
Cardinal Richelieu in 1632. The Salle du jeu de Spectacle (the room for shows), from which the
Théâtre du Capitole Opera Company and the
Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse later emerged, was created in 1737.
The new building In the mid-18th century, the capitouls decided to commission a municipal palace which would be unique in France. The site they chose was to the immediate west of
le donjon and the site enclosed the Henri IV courtyard. The new building, which was long, was designed by
Guillaume Cammas in the
neoclassical style, built in characteristic pink brick and was completed in 1760. The design involved a central section of the three bays, which was slightly projected forward, wings of six bays on either side, and a pair of end bays, which were projected forward as
pavilions. The central section featured a segmental headed doorway with a
keystone flanked by a pair of segmental headed windows on the ground floor, a French door flanked by a pair of tall segmental headed windows on the first floor, and a clock flanked by a pair of shorter segmental headed windows on the second floor. The bays in the central section were flanked by eight
Corinthian order columns supporting an
entablature and a
pediment. The wings and end bays were fenestrated in a similar style and flanked by Corinthian order
pilasters. The eight columns in the central section were intended to recall the original eight capitouls. Internally, the principal rooms included
Le Grand Consistoire,
Le Petit Consistoire, ''L'Arsenal
and Le Salle des Illustres''. These rooms exhibited some fine paintings, some of which were destroyed during the
French Revolution.
Le donjon was the venue for a religiously-biased trial during which a
protestant,
Jean Calas, was interrogated and
broken on the wheel in 1762. On 24 March 1871, inspired by the establishment of the
Paris Commune, a crowd of revolutionary guardsmen stormed the Capitole, seeking the establishment of a similar commune in Toulouse. However, the insurrection only lasted a few days and on 27 March 1871, the revolutionaries left the building peacefully.
Le donjon was rebuilt to a design by
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in a style typical of northern France in 1873. Following the liberation of Toulouse on 19 August 1944, during the
Second World War, the Capitole was draped in French
tricolour flags. On 19 February 1967, the president of France,
Charles de Gaulle, visited the town and delivered a speech from the balcony of the building. == Gallery ==