Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The old gate of the Capitol, dated the 3rd quarter of the 16th century, was originally integrated with the façade of the Toulouse city hall. It is distinguished by its two-storey column-framed hanger, topped by an oculus and a pediment decorated with three crescents. The frieze once bore the coats of arms of the capitouls, which had been erased in 1793 during the French Revolution. This set reflected the Toulouse municipal power, symbolized by these elected judges.

In 1671 the architect Pierre Mercier moved the door to the façade of the Arsenal (future building of the Commutation). A square cartridge was then added, bearing the new coats of arms of the capitouls of the year. This change reflects the urban transformations of Toulouse under the Ancien Régime, where public buildings were regularly renovated to affirm their symbolic function.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 18 May 1925, the door was finally re-educated in the garden of the Plants of Toulouse. Its Renaissance style, marked by decorative elements such as columns and crescents, makes it a rare example of the Toulouse civil architecture of this period. The gate is now owned by the municipality and accessible to the public in this landscaped setting.

The work is attributed to Nicolas Bachelier, a Toulouse masterpiece renowned for his work on Renaissance buildings. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of the cartridge in 1671, illustrate the evolution of tastes and representative needs of the city, between medieval heritage and classical modernity.

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