TOULOUSE
Viewed from the boulevards, Place Arnaud-Bernard resembles a Mediterranean village with its colourful façades, behind which rises the proud bell tower of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. It is one of the smallest districts in the city, but also one of the least known, shrouded in numerous misconceptions.
Formerly known as the Porte Royale, it was here that visiting kings were presented with the keys to Toulouse. Then, from a place of public execution, the square became the city’s most important wholesale market before it moved to Les Minimes in 1964. Throughout the 20th century, the Arnaud-Bernard neighbourhood was a welcoming place for men seeking a new life, whether they came from Italy, North Africa or Spain.
After a historical introduction, the guide will take you along streets you never knew existed: from the comical Rue de la Verge d’Or, a reminder of the neighbourhood’s rural identity, to Rue des Quêteurs, where the Monastère de la Pitié monastery used to dispense charity, the walls of Arnaud-Bernard have a hundred faces. The most unusual is the graffiti that covers the entire buildings on Rue Gramat, the cradle of Toulouse street art.
However, it seems that relaxation is what best defines this walk. With jasmine planted on the pavement and the discovery of small shop windows at the crossroads of a secret public garden, Arnaud-Bernard is definitely a place to experience before visiting!
