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The basilica of Notre-Dame de la Daurade in Toulouse was originally a temple dedicated to Apollo and was established in 410 when Emperor Honorius allowed the conversion of Pagan temples to Christianity. The church takes pride in holding its place in the list of Monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. Its organ has also been classified

During the 6th century a church was built which was ornated with golden mosaics and it was these golden mosaics which lent the basilica the name ‘Deaurata’ (Latin;aura, gold) which later gave way to its current name. It became a Benedictine monastery during the 9th century.

In 1761, the structure was demolished in order to construct Toulouse’s riverside quays. The buildings were restored and a new church rebuilt, but the monastery was closed during the French Revolution, becoming a tobacco factory.

The basilica had housed the shrine of a Black Madonna. The original icon was stolen in the fifteenth century, and its first replacement was burned by Revolutionaries in 1799 on the Place du Capitole. The icon presented today is a 1807 copy of the fifteenth century Madonna. Blackened by the hosts of candles, the second Madonna was known from the sixteenth century as Our Lady La Noire.

One of the landmarks of Toulouse is the Capitole which happens to be the seat of the municipal administration of the city. The construction of the original building began in 1190 to serve the purpose of becoming the seat for the government. In the 20th century, the structures surrounding the vast 2 hectares of the area were redesigned.

The facade of the Capitole, designed by Guillaume Cammas, is 135 metres long and built of the characteristic pink brick in Neoclassical style. The eight columns represent the original eight capitouls. In 1873, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc built a bell tower typical of the style of northern France on top of the donjon of the building. Only the Henri IV courtyard and gate survive from the original medieval buildings.

The Capitole is home to the city hall, as well as the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse opera company and a symphony orchestra. The Salle des Illustres contains 19th century works of art.

A visit to Toulouse would be incomplete without a visit to this vast landmark of the city which springs to life and reaches the epitome of beauty at night.

Toulouse takes pride in its Saint Sernin Basilica, which is a Romanesque building considered to be the biggest in the western world. This 11^th century brick masterpiece is a marvel in itself owing to its size and beauty. This monument is an essential stage on the Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle pilgrimage and its importance as a pilgrimage increased after Charlemagne (r. 768-800) donated a quantity of relics to it.

The church was built between about 1080 and 1120 and stands on the site of a previous basilica of the 4th century which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in c. 250.

The church building is of a massive size in the form of a crucifix. Unlike many of the earlier churches, the ceilings of this church are vaulted and there is also an ambulatory, a walkway that goes around the nave and side aisles to allow for viewing of the radiating chapels (which could be done while mass was being held without interrupting the ceremony). For these and other reasons, St. Sernin’s is often said to follow the “pilgrimage plan” instead of the traditional basilica plan.

The bell tower of the church which stands directly over the transept crossing is noteworthy and is slightly inclined towards the west direction, which is why from certain standpoints the bell tower roof, whose axis is perpendicular to the ground, appears to be inclined to the tower itself. The chevet consists of nine chapels, five opening from the apse and four in the transepts. There are two doorways, the Porte des Comtes and the Porte des Miégeville.

The interior of the basilica measures 115 x 64 x 21 meters, making it vast for a Romanesque church. The central nave is barrel vaulted; the four aisles have rib vaults and are supported by buttresses. Directly under the tower and the transept is a marble altar, consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096 and designed by Bernard Gelduin. The church happens to be the burial site of Saint Saturnin and Saint Honoratus as well. The crypt contains the relics of many other saints.

Toulouse boasts a total of 160 parks and gardens, hundreds of green areas and six “green zones”, which clearly emphasize the love of the Toulouse people for nature. Apart from these parks and gardens, Toulouse also displays tree-lined streets, squares and the canal towpaths, giving the visitors to the city a feel of being in green heaven. Some of the choicest parks and gardens in Toulouse featuring hundreds of varieties of plants, flowers and trees are:

Caffarelli Jardin Compans Boulevard
Created in 1981 to replace the former military barracks, this huge park has extended paths meander among the flowerbed and pond to reach the Garden of Japanese that is designed as a garden of traditional meditation. The park also features raked gravel arithmetical design, artificial hills, a teahouse, a wooden bridge, a lake, a kid’s playground & a refreshments booth.

Japanese garden
Being a fusion of existing Japanese gardens and the gardens of Kyoto built between the 14th and 16th centuries, it features the mineral world, the plant world and the aquatic world, as well as the typical decorative elements such as a surrounding wall, a Zen garden, bridges, lanterns and a teahouse in the centre of the garden, based upon the teahouse in the gardens of the Katsura Palace.

Jardin the plantes Mistral Allee Frederic
There are three gardens in this park that are connected through the footbridges above traffic. These gardens are Jardin Royal, Grand Rond and the Jardin of Plantes. Wide lane wind around ancient trees, flowerbeds, ponds, and fountains, there are swing and pony-ride to the children.

The Palais of the Berbie
The construction of this building was started in the 2nd half of the thirteenth century by Albi Bishops near Sainte-Cécile cathedral and the Tarn banks. The structure displays medieval design, and has remarkably thick and high walls enclosing a court for honor and the keep. In the eighteenth century, this structure was transformed onto a stately palace along with French style normal gardens and sumptuous salons. The park stands very near to the Toulouse’s administrative centre and the Pierre Baudis conference centre. With its tea pavilion and a range of oriental plants, the gardens are a hit with the young and old alike.