Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Terre-Cabade cemetery, located in Toulouse on the hillside of Jolimont, is the largest in the city with 33 hectares. It was designed in 1836 by the Urban Vitry architect and inaugurated in 1840, in a neo-Egyptian style inspired by ancient Egypt. The monumental gate, framed by two brick obelisks with golden pyramidons, is accompanied by two pavilions decorated with papyriform columns. This cemetery was created to replace the ancient Catholic cemeteries on the right bank, closed by municipal decree in 1840.

The name Terre-Cabade probably comes from Occitan terra cavada ("excavated land"), with reference to the old clay quarries used for brickworks before its development. The cemetery gradually expanded in the 19th century, incorporating extensions such as the cemetery of Salonique in 1915, named in tribute to the French soldiers engaged in Salonique's expedition during the First World War. A last extension, the cemetery of Heredia, was added in the second half of the 20th century.

The site houses approximately 28,000 graves and 20,000 vaults, including those of local personalities such as generals, artists and politicians. Outstanding monuments include tributes to the victims of the 19th and 20th centuries wars, such as the Monument of French Remembrance (1904) or the Monument to the American Deaths of the First World War (1919). The main entrance, listed as a historic monument in 2019, was renovated in 2015.

The cemetery is divided into several sections, including the ancient cemetery (1840) and the new cemetery (1915), separated by the road to Caillibens. Four entrances serve the ancient cemetery, while three others give access to the cemetery of Salonique. The place is also a space of recollection, sheltering the tomb of Hélène Soutade, a local popular figure nicknamed Saint Helena, although not recognized by the Church.

Among the notable burials are those of General Philibert Collet, the sculptor Aristide Bergès (whose funeral monument is classified), and the inventor of the flying trapeze, Jules Léotard. The cemetery reflects Toulouse's history, combining architectural heritage, military memory and cultural life, from its creation in the 19th century to its modern extensions.

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