TOULOUSE, A city of France, the former capital of Languedoc, and the present capital of the Department of Haute-Garonne. It is situated 130 miles southeast of Bordeaux (Map: France, H 8). Toulouse lies in a rich valley on the right bank of the navigable Ga ronne. It is subject to high winds, to floods, and to very hot weather in summer. Three bridges across the river connect the city with the Fau bourg Saint-Cyprien on the west bank. The noble Pont Neuf, a stone bridge of seven arches, dates from 1543. The streets of Toulouse are for the most part narrow, unattractive, and poorly paved. Two wide lines of boulevards, however—the outer one following the canals— divide the city pleasantly from the surrounding suburbs, and many extensive improvements have latterly been begun. On the extreme east is the Parc du Caousou.
In the centre of the town, in the Place du Capitole, stands the 'Capitole,' or town hall. It dates from the sixteenth century, but has re cently been almost wholly reconstructed. It possesses little architectural merit. The edifice owes its name to the city magistrates, or 'Capi touls,' who ceased to exercise their functions about the time of the French Revolution. It is the seat of the famous Academie des Jeux Floraux—an ancient literary institution which lends especial renown to the city. These Jeux Floraux, or Floral Games, which date from 1324, are poetical tournaments, in which the prizes allotted on May 3 of each year consist of flowers of gold and silver. In the `Capitole' also are an academy of legislation, founded in 1851, and an academy of science, inscriptions, and belles-let tres, founded in 1640.
Near the 'Capitole' are the Munieipal Theatre and a square donjon, restored by Viollet-le-Due. The latter contains the city's archives. Farther south is the museum of fine arts, occupying in part an ancient Augustine convent. In this sec tion of the city is the Cathedral of Saint Etienne —a curious inharmonious edifice belonging to different times and architectural types.
In the extreme southern part of the city are the Jardin des I'lantes and the Jardin Royal. Here splendid, spacious avenues unite in the sightly Grand Rond, which is decorated with statues. To the west is the Palace of Justice— formerly the Palace of the Parlement, with sev eral beautiful rooms. In the vicinity stands the
statue of Cujas, the great French jurist, a na tive of Toulouse. Northward is the Church of La Dalbade, whose square tower, splendid Renais sance portal, and interior merit mention. Prom inent among the old mansions in the vicinity is the 118tel Lasbordes—a splendid creation of Baehelier, much of whose work is to he seen in Toulouse. Farther north, near the Pont Neuf, is the church of La Daurade. Not far away is the lyeee, occupying part of the extensive Renais sance establishment of the merchant Bernuy who guaranteed the ransom of Francis I. after Pavia. In the vicinity is the Protestant church. To the north of the `Capitole' and connected with it by the Rue du Faur, the most important street in the city, is Saint Sernin—the finest church in Toulouse. H. is a superb cruciform Romanesque structure, begun in the eleventh century, and re stored under Viollet-le-Duc. The splendid octag onal tower rises 210 feet, with tiers of triangular arches. Saint Saturnin, the martyred apostle of Toulouse, is buried here.
At the head of the educational institutions stands the university (q.v.). There are a splen did school of medicine, a school of fine arts, a veterinary college, an observatory, an artillery school, a museum of industrial art and anti quities, and, in addition, many learned societies which occupy now the splendid Hotel d'Assezat, bequeathed to them in 1896. The city library has 70,000 volumes.
Toulouse is a city of wealth and prominence industrially and commercially, owing to its com manding position in the south of France. The Canal du Midi (q.v.) is here joined by the Canal Lateral, and thus commerce between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean is accommodated by water, Toulouse being the centre of this traffic. Much of the commerce from interior France to Spain also passes through Toulouse. The trade of the city is very extensive in wine and grain. There are two historic mills on the river. One is known to have existed in 1182; the other traces its origin back to the ninth century. There are a national tobacco factory, employing about 1300 persons, iron and copper foundries, a cannon foundry, and carriage and farm ma chinery works. Stained glass is also manufac tured. The population in 1901 was 147,696.