Toulouse - Cultural Capital of South-West France

By: Antonio Bonito..

Capital of the French Department of the Haute Garonne and administrative center of the region of the Midi-Pyrenees, Toulouse is one of the largest and most important cities in France. It's ancient name is Tolosa in the Occitan language.

But to the French, perhaps a more familiar name for the city is "la ville rose" (or "the pink city"). The reason for this seemingly unusual name will be immediately apparent to all visitors to the town, since most of the buildings are constructed in a flamboyant pink brick, typical of the region.

Toulouse is situated at 141m above sea level on the banks of the river Garon, with its source in the nearby Pyrenees mountains, which on clear days are easily visible to the south. Its location centrally located in southern France means that Toulouse is subject to both Mediterranean and Oceanic influences, thus it has a temperate climate, mild in autumn and hot and dry in summer.

There are three important winds which blow across the city: firstly there is the west wind, which brings with it a lot of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. Then there is the wind known as the "Autan" which blows from the south-east. This wind is hot and dry. Finally there is the wind coming from the north, blowing much less frequently, but it is cold and dry. The Autan is often called by the locals "the maddening wind" or "the devil's wind", since it affects everything in its path, apparently affecting the normal calmness of the inhabitants, both human and animal, making them much less calm!

However, Toulouse isn't just a major tourist destination, it's also a thriving hub of technology, serving any technologically advanced industries including medical, telecoms and aerospace. In fact Toulouse is known internationally as center of the European aerospace industry. But never a city to "let the grass grow under its feet", Toulouse is always at the forefront of research, and soon plans to become a world center in cancer research, with a major area to be given over to cancer research. Not surprisingly, Toulouse is also a major university town, second only to Paris.

Two key features of the city are the Pont-Neuf and the Canal du Midi which were completed in 1632 and 1682 respectively. Then there is the Capitole, constructed in the eighteenth century. In the 1920s, Toulouse was the pioneering center of the aviation industry, with the key Aerospatiale company being established in 1927, with such notable names such as Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Jean Mermoz.

Toulouse is also home of the French national center for weather prediction. This meteorological center was set up in Toulouse in 1982 and is now responsible for the prediction of weather patterns for the entire country.

Toulouse is also known for violets, which are cultivated there both for the flowers and for their perfume.

Toulouse is also home to a huge quantity of museums and cultural festivals. Indeed Toulouse is known throughout the whole of Europe as a city of many major international festivals. It is thus a major tourist destination. Visitors to the city will find it impossible to avoid coming into contact with major centers such as the Zenith, the Meditheque and the Congress Center. There are also the more recent Museum of Modern Art, known as the Abattoirs (since it was indeed the old city abattoir). Then there is the famous and impressive Cite de l'Espace (Space City). And not to be missed is the incredible Capitole Museum with its impressive Salle des Illustres - a giant room brimming with huge paintings and frescoes.

As for the "Cite de l'Espace", it will uncover for you a fascinating world, by using animations such as the re-creation of a part of the Russian space station "Mir", an "Ariane" rocket, and especially through the amazing spectacle of the IMAX 3D cinema and the planetarium, a real astronomical simulator. This is really impressive stuff!

As for high culture, there's lots to be found in Toulouse. Perhaps most impressively, the Capitole Theatre provides a memorable encounter not only with the world-famous Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, but also the impressive Toulouse Opera and ballet companies. The orchestra itself became renowned under the leadership of Michel Plasson, it's chief conductor for many years, with a wide-ranging repertoire ranging from the Baroque to contemporary performances. Today it is in the capable hands of the young Ossetian conductor Tugan Sokhiev, trained in St Petersburg.

Article Source: http://www.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com

For further information on France, the French lifestyle and Poitiers in French, please visit Rencontres Poitiers at Antonio Bonito's QuePourToi.com rencontres libertines web site.

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