Start of reconstruction 1691 (≈ 1691)
First wing with built chapel.
1693
U-shaped design
U-shaped design 1693 (≈ 1693)
Aviler organizes the central court.
1776
Extension by Raymond
Extension by Raymond 1776 (≈ 1776)
Building for the room of the clergy.
1990
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of facades and interiors.
fin XIXe siècle
Annexation of the Ducos hotel
Annexation of the Ducos hotel fin XIXe siècle (≈ 1995)
Expansion of the prefecture.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs of the U-shaped buildings around the courtyard of honour, including the main entrance porch and its side fins as well as the Porte Charles de Montchal (1640) closing the impasse; facades on the interior courtyard and on Saint-Etienne site, and corresponding roofs of the former Ducos de Lahitte hotel annexed to the Prefecture during the 19th century, as well as the two bays of the coiffé-en-poivrière building adjacent to it; facades and roofs of the buildings of the old communes (first courtyard on the left after the courtyard of honor) as well as of the perpendicular wing on garden; 17th century door of the former hotel of Ricard, rebuilt in the garden; façade and corresponding roof of the Louis XVI building located n°s 7 to 13 rue Saint-Jacques ; inside, at the bottom of the courtyard of honour: large central staircase and, on the ground floor: guard room, old dining room (mirrors and columns), three large Louis XVI lounges on garden (cad. AC 268, 301, 302): inscription by order of 1 October 1990, amended by order of 17 October 1990
Key figures
Augustin-Charles d’Aviler - Architect
Designs the plan in U (1693).
Jean-Arnaud Raymond - Architect
Made the wing in 1776.
Famille Ducos de Lahitte - Former owner
Private hotel attached (XIXe).
Origin and history
The Archepiscopal Palace of Toulouse, built between the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century, replaces a first medieval bishopric (XIVth–XVIth centuries) destroyed at the end of the seventeenth century. In 1691, the reconstruction began with a wing housing a chapel on the first floor. Two years later, architect Augustin-Charles d'Aviler designed the U-shaped plan around a central courtyard, structuring the current ensemble. This palace, symbol of ecclesiastical power, became the residence of archbishops and housed institutions such as the sovereign chamber of the clergy from 1776, under the direction of architect Jean-Arnaud Raymond.
At the end of the 19th century, the palace grew with the annexation of an adjacent mansion, the Hotel Ducos de Lahitte, dating back to the 17th century and formerly belonging to a noble Gascon family. This building, located on Rue Fermat, completes the prefectural complex. The facades and remarkable elements (scenes, Louis XVI lounges, 17th century door) bear witness to the successive transformations, mixing medieval, classical and pre-revolutionary heritage.
Ranked a historic monument in 1990, the palace protects its facades, roofs, and interior decorations (guard room, salons, chapel). The Porte Charles de Montchal (1640) and the communes, as well as the remains like the pepper shop next to the Hotel Ducos, highlight its architectural evolution. Today a departmental property, it embodies both the Toulouse religious heritage and institutional adaptations throughout the centuries.
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