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Origin and history

The Morand Tower, also called the Maurand Tower, is a rare example of civil Romanesque architecture from the late 12th century in Toulouse. It was part of the Maurand mansion, an influential family in the village of Saint-Sernin, vassal of the Abbey of the same name. This fortified building, with its high tower and two houses, reflected the power and wealth of this family, involved in the political and economic affairs of the city. Peyre Maurand, a member of the family and a member of Catholicism, was forced in 1178 to lower his turn after the anti-heretical repression led by the legate Pierre de Bénévent.

In the 14th century, the Hôtel des Maurand was acquired by Cardinal Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord to found the Collège de Périgord (or Collège Saint-Front) in 1360. This university college, intended for twenty fellows studying civil and canon law, was built by refurbishing several private hotels, including the Maurand. The tower, partially preserved, became a central element of the new college. Despite successive changes, including the lowering of its upper floors in the 18th century, it survived historical upheavals, such as its use as a Protestant bastion during religious wars in 1562.

After the French Revolution, the college became the Grand Séminaire de Toulouse in 1809, and later housed the university library in the 20th century. The Morand Tower, classified as a historic monument in 1931, was preserved despite the controversial renovations of the 2000s. Today, it stands as an architectural testimony of Toulouse's medieval and university past, within a group hosting the École nationale supérieure de l'audiovisuel and other university services. Its arched halls, geminied bays and Romanesque remains make it an emblematic building of Toulouse's history.

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