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Origin and history

The convent of the religious of Saint-Antoine-du-Salin came into being in the 12th century, when the religious settled outside the walls of Toulouse, near the Narbon castle. In the 14th century, in order to escape English threats, they took refuge in the muros by settling down on Pharaoh Street. This first site was given in 1580 to the Cordeliers of Isle-Jourdain, themselves expelled from their city, who undertook to enlarge and rebuild the monastery after 1656, in a classic style inspired by the Italian 17th century models.

The church, designed according to the plans of architect Rivalz, embodies the classic cannons of the era, with a symmetrical facade rhythmized by pilasters and crowned with a triangular pediment pierced by d-oculi. The decoration of the abside was made by Joseph Roques. Disused of the Revolution, the site changed hands several times: acquired in 1807 by the nuns of Notre-Dame, then in 1822 by the brotherhood of the Blue Penitents. Today, the church serves as a Spanish parish, while the convent buildings, including the cloister, have been protected since 1976.

The monument illustrates the religious and political upheavals of Toulouse, between medieval wars, monastic reforms and revolutionary secularizations. Its architecture, combining classical rigour and medieval heritage, bears witness to the artistic exchanges between France and Italy in the seventeenth century. The successive reuse of the site by different communities also reflects its anchoring in Toulouse's spiritual life, despite historical disruptions.

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