Capitole de Toulouse

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

It is supposedly on the spot that St Saturninus was martyred. The bishop of Toulouse is said to have been tied to the legs of a bull, which was driven down the steps of the town's capitol, causing his head to be bashed open.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.