History of the " Garonnette " district in Toulouse !!! .

Franck BRUGUIERE
Oct 27
4 min read

Photo showing an old bridge in Toulouse that used to connect the city center to the district known as " La Garonnette ".

INTRODUCTION :

Aerial photo of Toulouse showing, in the foreground the quay called " Tounis " , and in the background, the district know " La Garonnette " , which was once crossed by a branch of the G

Today, I'm going to introduce you to a historic district of Toulouse, and when you walk through it, you'd think you were in the countryside : The " Garonnette " district !!! .

Moreover, like the inhabitants of all cities, the people of Toulouse don't walk around the very often, and that's a real pity...

So today, I'm very happy to set off to visit it in your compagny...

A little History :

From a historical point of view, the most remarkable feature of this district is that it once had an old branch of the Garonne, the " Lissac " Canal.

Together with the Garonne, the rover that runs through Toulouse, it formed what was known as the Island of ' Tounis " .

The sanitation work in the district led to the complete draining of this small river in 1954.

After, a very successful renovation in 2006/2007, a small artificial canal was created in the " Garonnette " district as a reminder of its history .

-Presence in the district of the " Château Narbonnais " mills :

In this photo, wa can see a symbolic canal, as the Garonnette district of Toulouse was once crossed by the Garonne River, and there were mills that produced electricity.

In the "Garonnette " district, there were mills along the canal that were used to generate electricity.

There were 16 of them, and they powered the hydroelectric plant located on the other side of the Garonne : The BAZACLE !!! .

They were abandoned at the beginning of the 20th. century, destroyed by the fire, and completely wiped out during thze draining of the district.

-The Undesirable activities :

In the " Garonnette " district, there were washhouses and even floating washhouses.

Later, all the undesirable activities were set up there, such as fish markets, tanneries, and slaughterhouses.

-The " Tounis " Bridge :

Photo showing this old bridge located in a district of Toulouse. Interestingly, only one arch in visible, the others are built into the surrounding constructions.

People still think that Bridge 9 is the oldest bridge in Toulouse.

Well, it isn't !!! .

In fact, it was located in the " Garonnette " district and was called the " Tounis Bridge " .

This bridge connected the " Garonnette " district to the " Dalbade " district and its magnificent church of the same name.

It was made of bricks and had many arches.

Only one was visible, while the others were incorporated into the surrounding buildings.

The bridge was connected to a wooden bridge in the 17th . century so that the district could be linked to what is now " the Prairie des Filtres " , located on the other bank of the Garonne.

The green area on the right of the photo along the banks of the Garonne is called the Prairie des Filtres. It is a place of relaxation for the residents of Toulouse.

Architecture and points of interest that can be found the district :

-Tounis bridge and Batardeau Gate " :

In this photo shows that at the entrance to the Toulouse called " La garonnette" district, there is this lagre white gate, which is actually a floodgate designed to protect the city from the Garonne River.

As mentioned above, in the "Garonnette " district, there was a bridge : The Tounis Bridge .

Built between 1515 and 1528, made of bricks, it was constructed with a slope allow to flow toward the Garonne.

It consists of three piers, but only one is visible, and that is the one we will focus on !!! .

" The Batardeau Gate " in the " Garonnette " district is pat of the system designed to protect Toulouse from flooding by the Garonne.

This gate is located under the arch that provides access to the banks of the Garonne via the ' Quai de Tounis " .

However, despite the system, Toulouse could still experience a new flood in the future !!! .

Notable buildings in the Garonnette district :

-At number 11 houses the Catholic Institut of Toulouse :

It was built in 1877 on the site of the old Gallo-Roman rampart.

Today, it is an associative and pontifical institute that comprises a group of faculties.

-At number 12 , the manson called " Masuyer " :

Built between 1820 and 1830 for the first president of the Parlement , " Gilles Masuyer ", it is in the classical style and has been listed as a historical monument since 1981.

-At number 28, " Bagis " mansion :

This mansion was built between the 16th. and 20th. centuries.

its street-facing façade is made of white stone, which is unique in Toulouse for 17th. century buildings.

-At number 30, a building from the first half of the 19th. century :

-The famous Spanish and multi-generational establishment in Toulouse : " La Tantinna des Burgos " :

In the Garonnette district of Toulouse, there is a Spanish establishment that I Highly recommend if you want to eat and party like in Spain.

If you're evening you want to eat and party in a relaxed Spanish atmosphere, I recommend this place.

On the banks of the Garonne : The Quai de Tounis :

Photo showing the so-called " Quai de Tounis " in Toulouse under a beautiful blue sky with its majestic alignement of plane trees and buildings.

They were built the 18th. century by the architect " SAGET " .

At that time, Toulouse wanted to built quays made a locally produced terracotta bricks.

The result is a complete success.

It is indeed very majestic, with its more than century-old plane tree avenue and its perfectly aligned façades.

-Interest centers :

-The " Claude Nougaro house :

In this photo, you can see a building architecture of Toulouse. The famous French singer " Claude Nougaro ", who was born in Toulouse lived in the apartment at the top of this building.

The famous and well-known singer from Toulouse , " Claude Nougaro ", lived at the number 112 on the Quai " de Tounis " .

He lived on the third floor of the magnificent building that features a splendid wooden loggia with columns.

It was there that he wrote this true declaration of love to his hometown of Toulouse.

Black and white photo on the wall of a building in Toulouse, located near " Place Saint-Pierre ", depicting the singer " Calude Nougaro" , who was born in Toulouse.

-Houses at number 112/124/96 :

Built in the 19th. century, it is influenced by the Art Nouveau architectural style.

On the ground floor, one can notice the magnificent wrought-iron railings.

A curiosity of the building is the stone oriel located in the central bay, adorned with imposing decorations.

Well my friends, that's all for today .

Feel free to go for walk in this very special neighborhood known as rthe " Garonnette ".

I promise myself I'll go there more often.

Welcome in Toulouse.

The blog from Toulouse.

Best regards, Franck.

" La Garonnette " is the district located behind the " Quai de Tounis " in Toulouse, with access available by elevator from the quay !!! .

EXTRA VIDEO :

1 Comment

Shen Braylen

Nov 04

Fascinating read about the History of the "Garonnette" district in Toulouse! I never realized how much the area evolved over the centuries. The details about local architecture were impressive. Even while thinking about modern trends, like the fluctuating bitcoin price, it’s incredible to see how history shapes communities today.