770. Toulouse.

Title

770. Toulouse.

Description

Partial view of the city of Toulous in southern France on the Garonne.

ca. 1830

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

Toulouse, under the name of Tolose, was an important Gallic city, located at that time eight kilometers south at Vieille-Toulouse. In 413 Toulouse became part of the Visigoth Empire. In 1271, the county of Toulouse came under the rule of the French crown, but retained some special rights. From 1444 to 1790, Toulouse was the seat of the Parlement de Toulouse, which had jurisdiction over most of southern France and exercised legislative, judicial, and executive powers there on behalf of the crown. At the time of the Renaissance (about 1450 to 1550), Toulouse was among the wealthiest cities in France. Woad or pastel (Isatis tinctoria), a plant that provided the only consistent blue dye at the time, thrived particularly well on the calcareous soils of Lauragais, located southeast of the city. The city's dominant position gradually ended after 1550, when the Portuguese began importing the less expensive indigo from their colonies.