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Origin and history

Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines Church, located on Rue de la Boule in Toulouse, is the oldest church in southwestern France. Built on a Gallo-Roman necropolis of the fourth century, it was founded in the fifth century as a Benedictine priory. In the 11th century, Count Guillaume IV of Toulouse gave it to Moissac Abbey. It became a meeting place for the Toulouse notables, where the town's customs were promulgated in 1286.

In the 12th century, the church was a high political place: Counts Raymond V, VI and VII recognized the privileges of the commune of Toulouse. In 1189, Simon de Montfort signed the Toulouse surrender. The building, renovated in the 13th and 15th centuries, preserves Romanesque remains (doors, windows) and an archaeological crypt revealing a Paleo-Christian basilica.

In 1617, the priory was ceded to the Chartreux of Toulouse in exchange for Villardonnel, after ratification by Pope Paul V. Neglected by the Chartreux, the church deteriorated: collapses in 1758 and 1779. At the time of the Revolution, it was decommissioned, transformed into a cannon foundry (1794), and then into an arsenal until 1965. Ranked a historic monument in 1977, it now houses an auditorium of Toulouse Conservatory.

The name "Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines" comes from a francisation of Coquinis, a term referring to local artisans. The church, owned by the city since 1982, is managed by the Saint-Raymond Museum. Its history reflects the religious, political and military upheavals of Toulouse, from the Gallo-Roman era to the Revolution.

The building combines Romanesque architecture (nef, chorus with flat bedside) and medieval elements. The crypt, accessible, exhibits vestiges of the fourth century. After its restoration, the church lost its cult function to become a cultural place, symbol of the reappropriation of the Toulouse heritage.

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