It is an afternoon as a beautiful and sunny as this that I go for a walk in old Toulouse.
It is so beautiful when the sun shines on its terracotta bricks.
I decide to heard toward " The Jardin des Plantes " neighborhood.
Then, all an a sudden, I notice a large open porch on a street.
I enter and come across this magnificent mansion : The Avizard mansion" .
One again, you see even for a native toulousain who known their city well, I discover new things.
Yes as I have been telling you from the beginning, Toulouse will not reveal itself to you easy.
You have to set out to discover it, which is part os its charm.
A little history :
The construction of this mansion dates back to 1686 and it belonged to " Claude d'Avizard " , a parliamentary advisor to the king.
It remained the property of the family until the French Revolution.
It fact, the construction of this mansion spanned different eras, stretching from the 17th. to the 18th. century.
If you visit it, you will find it retains the form it had in the 16th. century, especially the façade with its railings and the inner courtyard.
It is the façades of the adjacent streets that are more austere and date from the 17th. and 18th. centuries.
The architecture of the " D"Avizard mansion " :
It consists of several railings from building that frame a splendid inner courtyard.
The main façade is characteristic of Toulouse's classical art.
On this magnificent façade, what immediately catches the eye is the beautiful central carriage door, made of alternating stones and bricks and tapped with dentils.
At the upper lewels, some elements are quite remarkable.
On the first floor, there are two balconies at the two lateral windows.
They rest on molded consoles and are adorned with two beautiful wrought-iron railings .
One also notices a play of shapes and colors on the building's façade.
The elevation, for its part , it crowned with a broad cornice.
Finally, the façade features on important use of chromatic effects created with stones, bricks and plaster.
The Inner Courtyard :
Like all inner courtyard in Toulouse, they conceal many treasures and were designed to maintain tranquility and, above all , freshness.
It is true for the " Avizard "mansion.
When you enter the courtyard , it is enclosed by the surrounding building.
Upon entering, you can admire the ceilling which is made entirely of terracotta bricks and features a complex and remarkable construction.
The inner courtyard is splendid, to say the least.
It features a small garden, where you can find a beautiful crafted well, typical of Toulouse construction.
On your left, two elements will draw your attention.
The first is the presence of two small storerooms beneath the main body of the building.
Secondly, you will notice the main door leading to the appartements.
There is a wrought-iron ramp to reach the entrance and inside a monumental staircase.
Finally, the most surprising features is the presence , at the for end of inner courtyard, of a fully renovated building.
This originally served at the stables when the mansion was constructed.
Indeed, at that time people traveled on horseback, and you can find similar buildings in many mansions throughout our city.
In the 19th. century a terracotta statue was added.
Recall , that to build Toulouse's terracotta buildings, a factory called " Giscard " was especially established in Toulouse.
For the elvation of this building, all the construction elements come from that factory.
Finally, as the former landscaper would say, next to the well, there are splendid blue agapanthus , and against the wall , a beautiful oleander.
There you have it, my friends.
This discovery of the magnificent " D'Avizard mansion" that I made myself illustrates just know important it is to explore Toulouse.
I wish you all a great treasure hunt.
Welcome in Toulouse.
The blog from Toulouse.
Greetings , Franck.
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