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Origin and history

The Place du Président-Thomas-Wilson, located in Toulouse in the Saint-Georges district, has its origins in an urban project initiated at the end of the 18th century. Originally, this space was a meadow located outside the city walls, near Porte Villeneuve, a strategic place during the siege of 1216 by Simon de Montfort. In the Middle Ages, this area served as a point of exit for Protestants expelled from Toulouse in 1562, after the fighting of the "Delivery". The Porte Villeneuve, symbolically condemned by Catholics, was reopened in 1783 under the impetus of architect Jacques-Pascal Virebent, who designed a project of interior and exterior double place, inspired by similar developments such as that of Saint-Cyprien.

The works, interrupted by the Revolution, resumed in 1806 with the destruction of nearly 300 metres of walls to build the inner side of the square and the buildings that border it. The outer side was completed between 1817 and 1834. Originally named Place Villeneuve, she took successively the place names of Angoulême (1816, in honour of the Duke of Angoulême), Place Lafayette (1835, after the monarchy of July), then Place Wilson in 1918, in tribute to the American president Thomas Woodrow Wilson, a citizen of Toulouse for his commitment to the First World War. The uniform architecture of the facades, designed by Virebent, was imposed from the beginning, with ground floor arches sheltering shops.

In the 19th century, the square became a central place of Toulouse life, welcoming cafes, cinemas and student night entertainment. In 1876, the square Lafayette was built there, sheltering the sculpture Moses breaking his irons and, later, the monument to Goudouli (1908), dedicated to the Toulouse poet Péire Godolin. This monument, originally planned for the Place du Capitole, was completed by sculptors Alexandre Falguière and Antonin Mercié, and architect Paul Pujol. The square, which was pedestrianized in 2005-2006, today retains its role as a meeting and cultural place, with its carousel installed in 2007 and its remarkable green spaces, such as the bald cypress of Virginia or the ginkgo biloba.

The square has been classified as historic monuments since 20 August 1974, including the floor, square and facades of buildings. Its history reflects the political and urban developments of Toulouse, from the religious conflicts of the 16th century to the international tributes of the 20th century. Aborted projects, such as the fountain dedicated to the Duke of Angoulême or the commemorative column of the Restoration, testify to tensions between municipal and central authorities. Today, Wilson Square remains a symbol of Toulouse's identity, mixing architectural heritage, student life and historical memory.

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