Capitole de Toulouse

The Capitole is the heart of the municipal administration of the French city of Toulouse and its city hall.

It is not the same Capitol as the one where St Saturninus was martyred, the latter referring to the Capitoline temple of the Roman city, while the first buildings of the current Capitole were erected on this site in the 12th century.

The Capitouls of Toulouse embarked on the construction of the original building in 1190 to provide a seat for the government of a province growing in wealth and influence. The name "Capitole" referred not only to the Roman Capitol but also to the capitulum, which was the chapter of the governing magistrates. It was a centre of contention during the 1562 Toulouse Riots, with Huguenot forces holding it with captured cannon.