# Random pics of Toulouse, the french pink city



## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

I have a friend who went to Toulouse for a week and she liked it that much - she ended up staying for almost a full year.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

openlyJane said:


> That Art-Nouveau/Deco building is quite something. What is it?


That's the former head office of the local Newspaper : La Depeche du Midi.

Some more pics:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Only one of these two windows is a true one:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The brand new statue of singer Claude Nougaro:


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

What beautiful balconies....


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The Pyrenees mountains seen from Toulouse. It is rather rare to see them so well, most often they are not visible:





































Zoomed:


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

So very nice.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

For today, some pictures of a private mansion: Hôtel du vieux raisin (Renaissance, 16th c.).
Windows have a beautiful decoration. Furthermore, I find very interesting these sculptures with no religious theme.



















Many amazing details:








































































This old woman has very muscular shoulders


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Once again great, very nice updates :cheers:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Such a beautiful city.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Toulouse 

Merry Christmas to all, btw :cheers:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Ni3lS (Jun 29, 2007)

Great showcase of Toulouse, one of the few big French cities still unknown to me


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Great, very nice updates from Toulouse :cheers:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Amazing, as always, Pistolero! :cheers:


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## samdawson012 (Feb 15, 2015)

Really great pics you have here. We're considering Toulouse one of the places we'll visit during the summer. I feel that we'll enjoy our stay there and having to visit those places in your pics.


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

wow! awesome...there's abundance of bas reliefs and decorative sculpture on those impressive buildings.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Wonderful updates, as always, Pistolero!!! :carrot:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Fantastic and very nice as always, Pistorelo! :cheers:


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

this is one great city with well preserved buildings......very nice shots too.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Amazing pics.


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## karlvan (Jan 31, 2011)

charming city and what makes this more interesting are those beautiful medieval structures.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

I would love to see an update on this.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Any updates about Toulouse?


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The romanesque architecture of Saint-Sernin basilica.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Nice^


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## skylark (Jan 27, 2010)

splendid medieval city.


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## Limak11 (Apr 14, 2014)

Interesting update, thanks :cheers:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Thanks all 

The restoration of the Convent of the Jacobins in Toulouse comes to an end after 4 years of work, just in time for the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Order of Friars Preachers by St Dominic in Toulouse.

Dominic de Guzman was a Spanish religious who lived from 1170 to 1221, to fight against the influence of Catharism (albigensian heresy) which spread in the south of France he created the Order of Friars Preachers (aka the Dominicans) in the city of Toulouse in 1215.

The Convent of the Jacobins was built from the 13th to 14th century by the Dominicans, the contrast is spectacular between the massive aspect of its external appearance and the lightness of the interior architecture, where huge columns (said to be the highest of Gothic architecture) separate the nave in two, crowned by arched vaults where the latest, the most spectacular, is known as the "palm tree of the Jacobins." This architectural prowess, whose author is unknown, is unique, no other example of such a "palm tree" being known in Christian architecture.

St. Dominic being buried in Bologna, Italy, in the 14th century Pope Urban V attributed to the convent (where they are still) the relics of another great Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas for the reason that the church surpassed in beauty the other churches of Preachers.

In the 19th century the convent was requisitioned by Napoleon Bonaparte for his armies, and severely damaged. After numerous restoration campaigns since the early 20th century, here it is finally delivered (almost) to its original beauty.

For this time, some of the pics are not mine.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

A stunning restoration; and the garden too......


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The Townhouse and its square : Le Capitole.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

A beautiful update^ - amazing.


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## charliewong90 (Nov 24, 2009)

spectacular architecture......definitely a gem.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Toulouse looks gorgeous. A particularly beautiful church tower/spire in a number of the shots.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Beautiful city and beautiful architecture.


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Gorgeous.


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## hacci (Sep 1, 2012)

This beauty is on another level.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)




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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Merci, Pistolero!! So much beauty in Toulouse!!! :banana:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Some old houses, windows, doors... (around 16th c.) :


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Toulouse :cheers:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Toulouse is firmly on my to-do list!


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## Beowulf-PVG (Feb 18, 2016)

I don't suppose I'll ever get tired of seeing images of Paris, but it sure is nice to see so many photos of another French urban gem!


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

And now some inner courtyards, hidden from the street and which cannot be seen by tourists (or with great difficulty). The towers inside the courtyards were often the prerogative of "capitouls", consuls elected to lead the city of 1145-1789.









































































In this courtyard are two columns of the ancient Visigoth or Roman temple of "la Daurade" (5th century ) , destroyed in the 18th century:































































Another courtyard, with a 16th century tower:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

And here is the back facade of the Mansencal mansion. We must imagine it clean and with its original five spans ( instead of two today , others have disappeared in the 19th century ) to understand that it has been considered in the past as a major Renaissance mansion of Toulouse. It has also a "family resemblance" to the Assézat mansion (superposition of three ancient orders used by the Renaissance).































































And some pics of the Pyrenees mountains, which can rarely be seen:


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## MilbertDavid (Nov 23, 2012)

lovely photos of this wonderful city.


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## Romashka01 (Mar 4, 2011)

Superb photos, very nice details! kay:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

An old picture (2012), when Toulouse was ruling the french rugby championship... those times are gone...









Saint Antoine du T street:


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Gorgeous pics^


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Toulouse has this curious feel about it, I guess because of the pink colour everywhere, it lends the city a special atmosphere. Great shots!

Love those ancient courtyards btw!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Wonderful! I missed the last few updates. Such a great looking city!


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Toulouse has one of Europe's oldest universities, founded in 1229.
The students were housed in "colleges", there are still 4 or 5 of them on the around twenty that had the city in the Middle Ages.
Here are some pictures of those "survivors" which no longer serve the accommodation of students today.


*Collège de l'Esquile*

Portal of 1556:


















Portal of 1702:


















Courtyard of 1678:




























*Collège de Périgord*









19th century for the courtyard:









Gallery of the XIVth century :










*Collège Saint-Raymond*

Building rebuilt in 1523:





































*Collège de Foix*

The main building (XVth century):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

For today some pics of a former hospital : La Grave

This hospital is located on the left bank of the Garonne river since the 12th century (but the current buildings are mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries).
The two main medieval hospitals of Toulouse (including this one) were built on the left bank, while the city was on the right bank, because it made it possible to separate the plague victims from the rest of the city.
Moreover, the left bank was flooded. The bourgeois not wanting to live there, it was the "perfect" place for the poors and the deprived.

This large hospital has numerous inner courtyards and a large chapel emblematic of the Garonne river's landscape in Toulouse.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

There is a second medieval former hospital on the left bank of the river, although current buildings are mainly from 17th and 18th century : the Hôtel-Dieu-Saint-Jacques.
In the Middle Ages, it was devoted to the care of the pilgrims who went to Santiago de Compostela (st James way).














































There remains a pillar of the old bridge that crossed the Garonne, washed away by the floods centuries ago.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Some old towers (14th, 15th and 16th c.), often hidden in the inner courtyards. Most were towers of "capitouls" (members of the town council), who ruled the city from 12th c. to 18th c. :


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

beautiful city indeed, and what makes this something unique is the homogeneous use 
of red bricks as building materials. love it.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Today, we will discover more in detail the "hôtel d'Assézat", of which I have already shown some photographs in the previous pages.

From about 1460 to 1560, the region of Toulouse was the main and most productive of woad. Woad was then in Europe the only known blue dye. The culture of woad was demanding in manpower and in time, it took several years between sowing and selling, reserving this activity to very healthy merchants able to immobilize important capital for such a long time.

Beautiful "hotels particuliers" (sort of townhouses) were built on this wealth in the Renaissance, of which the Hotel d'Assezat is certainly the most beautiful example (1555-1557).

Its façades on the courtyard use the architectural principles of the Italian architects of the Renaissance: Serlio and Palladio. Brick and stone marry here for the best.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

These muffles of lions serving as gargoyles are almost invisible from the ground, but great care has nevertheless been brought to their realization.









The loggia:













































The carved decorations are also found inside, here in the staircase of the tower:






















































The hotel houses the Fondation Bemberg, which offers the public the opportunity to admire one of the major private collections of art in Europe, paintings and works or art united throughout the lifetime of Georges Bemberg, rich in works from the Renaissance and the French modern school. 




































But let's get back to the building architecture:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The entrance portal is also very interesting:































































The carved decoration depicts faces of American Indians, it was important for a man such as Pierre d'Assezat to show that he was interested in the news of the world. And then we discover that the Indians had sharp ears! 









The door knocker:


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Superb^


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Indeed superb, very nice photos from Toulouse :applause:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Nice photos from this beautiful red city in France!


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## Romashka01 (Mar 4, 2011)

Wonderful details! nice pics, thanks for sharing kay:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

For today, some pics of another "hôtel particulier" (mansion) from the very early 17th c : L'hôtel de pierre (the stone's mansion). 
It was so named because its facade is made of stone, a rarity in Toulouse.
In Toulouse the stones were rare, so very expensive, and the inhabitants of the 17th century suspected the owner, François de Clary, of having diverted for his personal use stones intended for the new bridge which was built then on the Garonne river and of which he supervised the work.

The decoration of the facade on street, carved in the 17th century was completed and enriched in the 19th century in its lower part ... maybe a little too much!










See what I mean by too much? 






















































But the upper part of the facade is fine:




































the best part is in the inner courtyard, with these two magnificent late Renaissance Atlanteans:













































The decor of the rest of the inner courtyard is made of sculptures of the early 17th c. surrounding marble slabs from Roman antiquity ... unfortunately soiled by pollution, because the inner courtyard serves as parking for residents.


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## VITESKI RED ZMAJA (Apr 2, 2012)

So many historic buildings with great details in a very beautiful city.


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Wow! Simply incredible sculptural detail! Great shots, too.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Thank you Viteski and Why-Why (and others for their previous comments  )


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice new photos from Toulouse


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Nice updates from Toulouse. Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lyon are the cities in France I want to visit the most, that I haven't been to yet. There is much more to France then Paris and the Riviera.


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

The richness of Toulouse's Renaissance architecture is not always apparent to the walker, as the various elements are scattered throughout the old town, and sometimes even hidden in courtyards not easily accessible to the public.
Below is a collection of the various styles of Renaissance windows in Toulouse, classified by approximately chronological order from the beginning of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century.

Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (rear façade), 1515 to 1528:









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (rear façade):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (destroyed façade):










Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (courtyard):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (courtyard):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (courtyard):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (side street):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel de Tournoër (1532):









Hôtel de Tournoër:









Hôtel de Bernuy (courtyard), 1530-1536:









Hôtel de Bagis (courtyard, ground floor), 1538:









Hôtel de Bagis (courtyard, first floor), 1538:









Hôtel de Bagis (courtyard, second floor), 1538:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel Guillaume de Bernuy (courtyard), 1540-1544:









Hôtel Guillaume de Bernuy (courtyard), 1540-1544:









Hôtel Guillaume de Bernuy (courtyard), 1540-1544:









Hôtel de Brucelles (courtyard), 1544:









Hôtel de Brucelles (courtyard), 1544:









Hôtel de Brucelles (courtyard), 1544:









Hôtel Hébrard (courtyard):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel d'Avizard (side street):









Hôtel Boysson-Cheverry (courtyard), 1546:









Hôtel Boysson-Cheverry (courtyard), 1546:









Hôtel de Lamamye (courtyard), 1540s...:


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (street), 1547-1555:









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin, from 1547:









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin, from 1547:









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin:









Hôtel de Mansencal (garden), ground floor:









Hôtel de Mansencal (garden), first floor:









Hôtel de Mansencal (garden), second floor:









Hôtel de Mansencal (courtyard):









Hôtel de Mansencal (courtyard):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

House of Auger Ferrier (courtyard), 1553.
With representation of Amerindians heads:









House of Auger Ferrier (courtyard), 1553:









Hôtel Molinier (1552 to 1556), courtyard:









Hôtel Molinier (1556), street:









Hôtel d'Assézat (courtyard), 1555 to 1562:








.
Hôtel d'Assézat (courtyard), 1555 to 1562:
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Hôtel d'Assézat (courtyard), 1555 to 1562:









Hôtel d'Assézat (courtyard), 1555 to 1562:









Hôtel d'Assézat (street), 1555 to 1562:


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Nice update ☝


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

More...

Hôtel Delfau (1554-1560):









Hôtel d'Astorg (1562):









Hôtel d'Astorg:









Hôtel de Massas (last quarter of 16th c.):









Hôtel de Massas (last quarter of 16th c.):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel Dumay (last quarter of 16th c.): 









Hôtel Dumay (last quarter of 16th c.):









House of Elie Géraud (wooden):










House of Elie Géraud (wooden):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (1580-1591):










Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (1580-1591):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (1580-1591):









Hôtel du Vieux-Raisin (1580-1591):


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

Hôtel de Lestang (end 16thc. or early 17th c.):









Hôtel Potier-Laterrasse (end 16thc. or early 17th c.): 









Henry IV courtyard of the Capitole (early 17thc.):









Hôtel de Clary (early 17th c.):


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Good to see photos from you and from this beautiful city again! 
If things improve enough, I plan to go to France this year. Trying to decide between Toulouse and Lyons at the moment...


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Toulouse


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

aljuarez said:


> If things improve enough, I plan to go to France this year. Trying to decide between Toulouse and Lyons at the moment...


In my humble opinion, it depends on what you prefer.
Personally I find Lyon more spectacular, with its hills, its two rivers and its homogeneous districts whose architecture shows the different eras and how the city was built up in strata.
Toulouse is less homogenous, perhaps more difficult to "understand", but it has some exceptional medieval or Renaissance buildings which Lyon has no equivalent (basilica of Saint-Sernin, the Jacobins church, or some _hôtels particuliers_ as Assézat, Bernuy, Vieux-Raisin, Bagis...).
Anyway, both are picturesque cities with a strong personality and originality.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

That's exactly my impression. As beautiful as Lyon looks, it's probably more "similar" to Paris. Toulouse, which has a totally different vibe, with its Southern, earthy tones, may be a better choice for variety. Albi is another reason. However, since I would be doing some hiking in the Mont Blanc area, and would love to see the new things in Paris (the Pinault Collection, la Samaritaine, the Vuitton Foundation...), I won't have as much time, but I definitely want to squeeze another city in. Or maybe this is just wishful thinking and (given my country's awful handling of the COVID emergency), I will not be going anywhere, not even the next town!


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## Pistolero (May 19, 2011)

@aljuarez: Well, frankly I found Lyon quite different from Paris, it's a city with its own personality.
Albi is superb, do not miss the banks of the river Tarn.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Fabulous...all of them! So much variety in style.


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## 7412Momo (Jan 20, 2021)

I'm not a fun of bricks and i really dislike pink, but i really enjoyed Toulouse and it seems to me quite a nice city. Its bricks look best in the rain, or shortly after rain. The glitter of wet surface and lights - very nice.


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## Arch98 (Jan 21, 2021)

Underrated city. Truly stunning architectural details.


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