EN IMAGES. Toulouse. These architectural gems that disappeared with the transformation of the Pink City
By Thibaut Calatayud
Published on
It is not being chauvinistic to say that Toulouse is one of the most beautiful cities in France. With the Garonne, the Canal du Midi, its unique bricks and, of course, its Place du Capitole, the Pink City has many assets.
But in its history, Toulouse also had incredible constructions which, unfortunately, no longer exist today.
#1. The Hall of the Carmelites
![The Carmelites Market in Toulouse, in March 1907.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-1fi10239.jpg)
Built in 1892, in place of the convent of the religious order of the Carmelites, this superb metal hall housed one of the largest covered markets in the Pink City.
![The Halle des Carmes (circled in red) seen from the sky, in 1926.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/halle-carmes-1926.jpg)
Unfortunately for lovers of architecture, this hall was destroyed less than a century after its creation to make room… for cars.
In 1964, machines knocked down the marquee to replace the hall with the infrastructure we know today: the Carmelite parking-market. The latter was designed by George Candilisthe architect to whom we also owe the design of the Mirail district.
![The Carmes car park-market was designed by the architect Georges Candilis.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/marche-parking-carmes-toulouse-tc.jpg)
#2. The Dalbade bell tower
It was for a long time the tallest bell tower in Toulouse. Top of 83 meters, the bell tower of the Dalbade has not withstood the weight of the years. It collapsed on itself, 96 years ago almost to the day. It was on the night of April 10 to 11, 1926.
![The Dalbade church, next to the Halle des Carmes.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-9fi1451.jpg)
At the time, the collapse came as no surprise to anyone. It must be said that the state of the building feared the worst. So much so that an architect of historical monuments, who came a few days before the disaster to carry out an inspection, decided to start work.
![The Dalbade church after the bell tower collapsed in 1926.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-1fi52.jpg)
Too late. Two people lost their lives and nine others were injured in this tragedy. After the accident, a judicial investigation against X is opened by the Toulouse prosecutor’s office for homicides and injuries by recklessness. A dismissal is finally pronounced.
A year after the fall, the city council of Toulouse votes for the construction of a new bell tower. A project that does not succeed, for lack of money. The idea of reconstruction was definitively buried in the 1960s.
![The bell tower of the Dalbade church was not rebuilt.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/eglise-dalbade-toulouse-tc.jpg)
#3. The veterinary school on the boulevard Marengo
Did you know ? Toulouse is one of the first French cities to have hosted a veterinary school. After Lyons (Rhône) in 1761 and Alfort (Val-de-Marne) in 1766, the Pink City inaugurated its own establishment in 1828. Initially installed in the rue des Trente-Six-Ponts, the veterinary school of Toulouse was moved, in August 1835, to the boulevard Marengo . At the time, the Matabiau station did not yet exist.
![The former veterinary school has given way to the Cabanis media library.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-1fi920-1.jpg)
It was not until August 1856 that the Matabiau station was put into service. She will quickly want to expand, to the detriment of the school.
“In 1928, we considered moving (from the school, editor’s note) as imminent”, says the historian Pierre Salies in his Dictionary of the streets of Toulouse (Milan Editions, 1989). For the move, the choice fell on a plot of nine hectares in the Juncasse district.
But in 1939, when three-quarters of the construction work was completed on this new site, the Air Ministry moved there and the military transformed the premises into… a wind tunnel! It will finally be necessary to wait until 1964 to see the school being definitively established on 63 hectares, at 23 chemin des Capelles.
Today, the former veterinary school has given way to the Marengo arch where we find in particular the Toulouse Media Library.
![The Marengo arch took the place of the former Toulouse veterinary school.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/toulouse-marengo-arche-tc.jpg)
#4. The Gate of Switching
It’s hard to imagine that the Place de Gaulle was only a collection office for import duties at the time. “The door that would access it opened onto rue Lafayette, on the site of the current garden”, explains Pierre Salies in his book.
![The Porte de la Commutation from rue Lafayette.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-34fi1.jpg)
It’s hard to imagine that the Square de Gaulle was only an office for collecting goods entry fees at the time. “The door that would access it opened onto rue Lafayette, on the site of the current garden”, explains Pierre Salies in his book.
![The Porte de la Commutation has given way to the Square de Gaulle.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/rue-lafayette-toulouse-tc.jpg)
Made by Jean Aleman, this door dates from 1575-1576. It was then moved and reassembled at the Jardin des Plantes in Toulouse in 1886.
![The Commutation gate has been replaced in the Jardin des Plantes.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/porte-commutation-jardin-plantes-toulouse-tc.jpg)
#5. The arenas of the Golden Sun
![An aerial view of the Arènes du Soleil d'Or on a Corrida day in the 1950s.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-9fi4433.jpg)
Built in 1953, the Soleil d’Or bullring hosted bullfighting shows until 1976.
![The arenas and the Cristal bar, in 1957.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/direction-des-archives-municipales-de-toulouse-9fi7440.jpg)
After twenty years without bullfighting, the Soleil d’Or arenas were half destroyed in 1990 to make way for the high school we know today.
![The Golden Sun arenas have given way to a high school.](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/04/lycee-arenes-toulouse-tc.jpg)
To find out more about the construction of the Lycée des Arènes, INA has archived this report from FR3 which evokes the destruction of the arenas of the Golden Sun.
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