TOULOUSE
As far back as Antiquity, there was a Roman road leading to the Porte Matabiau, one of the entrances to the fortified town. The site was of strategic interest as it was the gateway to the octroi, a compulsory point of passage for merchants who had to pay an entrance fee to sell their goods in the city.
In the 1820s, the area became a “district” thanks to a carpenter by the name of Joseph Bonnefoy, who gave his name to the suburb. He and his family bought and sold a number of plots of land, paving the way for a working-class community, which was soon amplified by the arrival of the train in 1856 at nearby Matabiau station. Little by little, small textile and mechanical industries and small shops sprang up. Market gardeners built their “Toulousan” cottages to cultivate the land. The “black faces” of the railway workers came and went to the rhythm of their working hours, and everyone got together for the great Fénétra festival!
The faubourg is currently undergoing major urban change, but for the time being, the district still “belongs” to its residents, who have shaped it over the years. This tour will take you from the circular Place Arago, Place Wilson’s little sister, to the Art Deco buildings that are as charming as they are functional. Then, from the Church of the Immaculate Conception to a former shirt factory turned art gallery, you’ll see that all you have to do is cross the main avenue de Lyon and you’ll find a whole host of surprises where you least expect them!
