VIDEO. Toulouse from the sky (8/20): discover Compans-Caffarelli and the Amidonniers
By Pascal PALLAS
Published on
In the heart of Toulouse and not far from thehypercenter, district 1.2 Starch makers – Compans Caffarelli is a residential district with magnificent environmental assets. On its territory, rub shoulders with the banks of the Garonne, the Canal de Brienne, the Canal du Midi, the basin of the Filtres or the Compans-Caffarelli Garden (and its marvelous Japanese garden).
It is also a young district, due to the presence of many university students and the Toulouse Business School. It’s finally a residential area
Discover the 1.2 district of Toulouse thanks to the drone of the Conti studio for Actu Toulouse:
Compans-Caffarelli, a business district
This downtown area as we know it is fairly new. It began to structure itself in the 1980s, having so far had a long military tradition. It takes its name from the generals Jean-Dominique Compans (1769-1845) and Louis Maximilien de Caffarelli du Falga (1756-1799), whose companies of the former military barracks of the same name were summarized on the current district the activity of two barracks having dominated the sector for a long time.
Who were Generals Compans and Caffarelli
Here are two heroes who marked their time and whose careers have been forgotten, although their names ring in the ears of Toulouse residents almost every day.
Jean-Bernard Compans was born in 1769 in Salies-du-Salat into a notable family. Convinced by the ideas of the Revolutions, he volunteered to defend the young Republic. He was named captain at just 23 years old. But it is under the Consulate and the Empire that he will especially distinguish himself. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed him Chief of Staff of the Army of Italy in 1798. During this difficult campaign against the Austrians, he performed wonders. He is named general after Marengo. Seriously wounded at Austerlitz (1806), brave fighter during the Prussian campaign (1807) then in Russia (1812) and Germany (1813), the Emperor made him count of the Empire and ranked him among his best generals. He was taken prisoner at Waterloo (1815), a fatal battle for the Emperor, and rallied to the monarchy. He is admitted to retirement and is named Peer of France. He quickly retired to the Toulouse region to take care of his children’s education. He died there in his castle of Blagnac in 1845.
For his part, Louis Marie Maximilien de Caffarelli du Falga, born in 1756, did not have the time to grow old among the stones of his château du Falga. A graduate of the Sorèze school, he preferred a military career and joined the Engineers. He finally retired in 1786 to take care of the family estate. The Revolution seduces him and he decides to re-engage. Artillery officer in the Army of the Rhine, he then joined the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse and shined with his temerity. By dint of courage, he exposes himself: he receives a cannonball in the left leg on December 17, 1795 at the passage of the Nahe. Appointed brigadier general the same day, he continues to serve with… a wooden leg! Napoleon Bonaparte entrusted him with the preparation of his expedition to Egypt. On site, he distinguished himself by reducing the protection of Cairo, facilitating the connection between Alexandria and the Nile, participating in the scientific work of the Institute. Always full of courage, he also fights. On August 11, 1798, near Salheyeh, he charged with his sword in the clear, hand-to-hand combat. His temerity earned him a severe warning from the general-in-chief. He is still taking Jaffa, at the siege of Saint-Jean-d’Acre, where he loses his right arm and dies on April 27, 1799 as a result of his injuries.
Today it is predominantly a business district with over 200,000 m2 of offices. However, it is also here that one of the most emblematic spaces of Toulouse is located: the Japanese Garden, listed green as a remarkable garden.
The Starch Makers
Nearby, the Amidonniers do not have a military but an industrial history. The district also owes to the “starchmakers”, as flour manufacturers were called for a time. They used the Canelet, a waterway between the Bazacle and the port of Embouchure for their work. The Bazacle mill supplied the whole city with flour from the Middle Ages until its conversion into a hydroelectric power station in 1888.
Then tobacco took over from starch in the sector, causing the urbanization of the latter. The famous Tobacco factory de Toulouse operated from 1894 to 1979. Its magnificent building is now an annex of the University of Toulouse I.
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