Place du Capitole

The Place du Capitole is the main square of Toulouse, the pink city, and it is a vast open space with the Capitole, the town hall, on its eastern side and a long line of terraces and arcades on the others. The brick and stone of the buildings take on warm shades of rose and orange in the sun, which gives the city its nickname, and the square is among the best places to see this colour in action. It has been a gathering place, market and stage for civic life for centuries, and today it is where locals meet, tourists take photographs and events are held throughout the year.

The Capitole itself is the centre of civic life, home to the mayor and council as well as to the opera. The name goes back to the capitouls, the elected magistrates who governed Toulouse from the Middle Ages until the Revolution, and who met in this building. The long neoclassical facade, about 128 metres wide, dates from the middle of the eighteenth century and is built of brick with stone details, with eight columns in the centre and a pediment above. Inside, the Cour Henri IV, an older courtyard, and a series of grand rooms are open to visitors on most days. The Salle des Illustres is a vast hall decorated in the nineteenth century with paintings of Toulouse's history and famous figures, and a Salle Henri Martin has large murals by the painter who gave it his name.

The square has been redesigned many times. A giant cross, which represents the old province of Languedoc, is set into the paving, with the signs of the zodiac around the arms, and it is one of the best-known pictures of the square seen from above. The arcades on the west side, with their wide arches, shelter cafés and restaurants, and in summer, the terraces fill with people sitting beneath misting parasols, a welcome relief from the heat. To the north, the medieval Rue du Taur leads toward the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in Europe, and the Basilique Notre-Dame du Taur stands along the way.

Toulouse offers a great deal within walking distance. The Musée des Augustins has a fine art collection in a former convent, the Musée des Jacobins preserves a Gothic cloister, the Hôtel d'Assézat houses a notable private collection of art, and the Marché Victor Hugo is a covered market for food. The Musée Paul Dupuy, the Place du Salin and the Cité de l'Espace, a space-themed science park, add other themes.

Allow at least thirty minutes for the square and the interior, longer for a drink. It suits first-time visitors, photographers and anyone interested in civic history. The building may close for ceremonies, so check ahead.