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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The tower of Serta, located in Toulouse on Rue Saint-Rome, was built in the 2nd quarter of the 16th century, more precisely in 1533, on the initiative of capitoul Pierre de Serta. This Renaissance-style monument was designed as a common staircase serving two adjoining buildings (2 and 4). Its architecture combines a square structure and a round turret housing the staircase, topped by a brick hexagonal pyramid. The tower, vaulted by dogives and decorated with arches, dominates the four corners of the exchange, an emblematic place of medieval and modern Toulouse.

The tower of Serta is a testament to the Toulouse urban planning of the Renaissance, where the capituls – municipal magistrates – played a key role in the beautification of the city. Its staircase leads to a platform girded with a wall, offering views of the surroundings. Classified Historical Monument by decree of 9 July 1980, it illustrates the ingenuity of the civil constructions of the period, mixing functionality (access to floors) and aesthetic (brick decorations, pyramidal turret).

The choice of materials, such as Toulouse's typical carpentry brick, and the presence of dogive vaults reflect the architectural influences of southwestern France in the 16th century. The tower, though discreet, symbolizes the power of the local elites, represented here by Pierre de Serta, whose name remains associated with this building. Today, its state of conservation and its precise location (4 rue Saint-Rome) make it a heritage landmark in the historic heart of the city.

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