Dome of " La Grave " in Toulouse!.

Franck BRUGUIERE
Oct 9, 2023
3 min read

Updated: 10 hours ago

Photo showing the site of the " Dome de la Grave " .
This dome is an iconic landmark of Toulouse and stands out among y-the city's many churches, which are characterized by their bell towers.
It features the typical Toulouse architecture made of terracotta bricks.

Hello friends, this is Franck from the Toulouse Blog.

Toaday, I'm going to introduce you to an iconic building in our city: " La Grave ".

You can miss it with its splendid dome on the left bank of the Garonne, near Saint-Cyprien Bridge.

The history:

A photo showing a magnificent view of the splendid " Dome de la Grave " in Toulouse, which, during the Middle Ages was a former hospital and since been renovated.
Nowdays, it serves as a venue of interactive exhibitions.

It consists of a part of the 14th century and building from the 17th century. It is named " La Grave ", because it was built on the gravel of the Garonne.

In the 12th century, it was a hospital under the count Raymond IV.

Its role was to welcome the poor, the undesirables, the beggars, the foundlings, the disabled, the prostitutes, and especially the plague-stricken.

In the middle of 14th century, the Black Plague wrecked havoc in the city , many residents of Toulouse died, and this went on for 4 centuries.

They were all housed in " La Grave " and therefore excluded from the city center.

In the 19th century, during more glorious times, " La Grave" served as a maternity hospital and a birthing school.

The dome:

The amazing copper " Dome de la Grave " in Toulouse, with its antique-style entrance and its sculpted white stone pediment.

It is the omnipresent building in Toulouse. It stands out from all the church towers in the city.

It is a green-gray dome that houses the " Saint-Joseph chapel of La Grave ".

The fondations of " la Grave " are made of concrete, while the dome itself is constructed of wood and covered with copper.

It features brick finishes and a metal covering.

The dome weighs over 8 tons.

La Salle engloutie:

It is located under the North wing of the Saint-Joseph courtyard.

It is 72 merters long with a volume almost equal to the " Salle des Illustres " in the Capitole.

It consists of 8 rib vaults. It is uncertain when it was built but it could possibly be the former chapel dating back to the early 16th century.

It is constructed with typical Toulouse-Style with terraccota bricks.

The Saint-Joseph chapel:

The first stone was laid in 1758 by the president of the parliament of Toulouse. The construction works were completed in 1845.

You can find faux marble wall decorations, paintings, sculptures, stained glass, and furniture.

Restored and painted floors, as well as fully restored wall decorations.

One can admire numerous religious objects.

" La Grave " today:

Magnificent Dome de la Grave in Toulouse, seen from the inside!.

It was reopened after renovation on saturday , septmber 17th 2022.

Since it was become a cultural venue with primarily exhibitions.

The venue is interactive, allowing visitors to discover the history in 12 stages.

Touchscreen tablets will be provided to aid in the exploration.

La Grave by night:

The magnificent Dome de la Grave on the banks of the Garonne River, seen at night, illuminated with a high-performance LED lighting system.

It is illuminated by an ecological LED lighting system. The building is designed to be gentle highlighting the main architectural elements of the building.