Tolosa Foundation 14 apr. J.-C. (≈ 100)
Official opening of the Roman colony.
Vers 30 apr. J.-C.
Construction of the rampart
Construction of the rampart Vers 30 apr. J.-C. (≈ 100)
Built under Tiberius (or Augustus), monumental style.
IVe siècle
Defensive extension
Defensive extension IVe siècle (≈ 450)
Add 300 m along the Garonnette.
XVe siècle
Transformation of the tower
Transformation of the tower XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Medieval vault and use as prison.
1963
Lower Empire classification
Lower Empire classification 1963 (≈ 1963)
Wall pan of the Catholic Institute.
19 octobre 1990
Registration MH
Registration MH 19 octobre 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of the remains of the rampart.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The vestiges (tour and courtine) of the Gallo-Roman rampart, also known as the "Tour Saint-Jacques", in total, with the soil and basement of the parcels containing them, located at the corner of the streets Bida and Saint-Jacques on parcels No 407 and No 409 appearing in section AC of the cadastre), as coloured in red on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by decree of 24 February 2022
Key figures
Tibère - Princeps (Roman emperor)
Suspected commander of the rampart (c. 30 A.D.).
Auguste - First Roman Emperor
Possible initial project designer.
Origin and history
The Gallo-Roman rampart of Toulouse, built around 30 AD under Tiberius (or even Augustus), surrounded the city of Tolosa for 3 km, marking its status as a Roman colony. His role was above all ostentatious, reflecting the glory of Rome by a monumental style influenced by Hellenism. Funded by the emperor, it completed public monuments such as the forum or the theatre, with round or U-shaped towers spaced 40 m apart and three monumental gates (Narbonnaise, Porterie, future Saint-Étienne).
The construction technique combines stone and lime mortar foundations, assemblages alternating limestone and brick bellows, and an upper part of caissons filled with caementicium (mortar and Garonne pebbles). This rampart is exceptional in Gaul for its massive use of brick (opus testaceum), testifying to a Roman know-how adapted to local resources. A 300 m defensive section was added in the fourth century, along the Garonnette, to counter the barbaric invasions, integrating elements of recovery (fragments of statues, capitals).
The tower of the Hauts-Murats, the only intact part of the enclosure, preserves its lower Roman brick floor, surmounted by a medieval vault (15th century) pierced by a central opening. Transformed into a prison in the Middle Ages for heretics and convicts, it illustrates the reuse of ancient structures. The rampart has been listed as historical monuments since 1990, and its section of the Lower Empire (museum of the Catholic Institute) has been classified since 1963. Excavations since the seventeenth century have revealed its plot around 90 ha, with an estimated height of 6-8 m.
The enclosure symbolized the Romanization of Tolosa, a colony founded in 14 AD, and its integration into the Empire. Its gradual abandonment reflects urban change, although remains (place Saint-Pierre, rue d'Aubuisson) attest to its persistence in the Toulouse landscape. Recent studies (Labrousse, Darles) highlight its technical originality and its role in ancient urban planning, while discoveries such as that of Square Charles-de-Gaulle (2015) enrich his knowledge.
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