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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The hotel of Bonnefoy, located at 19 rue Croix-Baragnon in Toulouse, is a mansion built around 1513 in the style of the first Toulouse Renaissance. It preserves traces of 14th century Gothic windows, inherited from an earlier medieval house belonging to the family of La Jugie, including Bertrand, a Toulouse changer. The building was commissioned by Bérenguier Bonnefoy, capitoul in 1513-1514, which added a tower, symbol of his status. The façade, remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries, combines moulure corniche, doors in full hanger and segment windows.

The staircase tower, raised in 1513, illustrates the transition between Gothic and Renaissance with its busts, putti and carved decoration (accolades, crossettes, foliage). Its tympanes bear religious emblems such as the IHS monogram or a lion supporting the Bonnefoy coat of arms ("of azure to silver sheep"). The inner courtyard, accessible by a corridor adorned with the motto Uni suspiro (1730), leads to sober facades rhythmized by high windows. The ground floor houses a 13th century medieval vaulted dogives cellar, with caps carved of monsters.

The hotel changed its owners several times among the Toulouse elite: the Bonnefoys (capitouls and notables until 1614), the Labats (including Jean-Louis, capitoul in 1651-1653), the Lacazes (Henri, capitoul in 1679-1680, and Jean-Jacques, who added his coat of arms in 1729). In 1957, lawyer Roger Amalric restored him, winning the Toulouse Touloussains medal in 1975. Today, the hotel houses rental apartments under the name La Tour Croix-Baragnon, while keeping its tower listed as a Historic Monument since 1950.

The architecture reflects successive works: medieval remains (XIVth century), Renaissance reshuffles (early 16th century), classical modifications (XVth century with Frixa polo requies and Uni suspira), and modern restorations. Gothic elements, such as geminied bays with broken arches, coexist with Renaissance motifs (naked children, female bust modillons), reflecting the evolution of styles between the Middle Ages and modern times.

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