Exploring the Quartier des Carmes

The Quartier des Carmes (the Carmes neighborhood) is the home of the Language and Culture classes for our students this summer. We will all be spending a lot of time in this area over the next four weeks, so a tour of the neighborhood was a must! Not just to highlight great places to grab le déjeuner (lunch), but also to learn more about the rich history of this central neighborhood in the old city.

Place de la Trinité

Place de la Trinité, shaped like a triangle, can be found in the northern part of the neighborhood. It is home to a large fountain (Fontaine de la Trinité), which includes stones from the town of Carcassone (which the students will visit in the few weeks!). While wandering around this area, you can see the name of the Place in both French and Occitan. Occitan is the regional language that was historically spoken in Toulouse and much of southwest France. Street signs all over the city are still shown in both languages!

Marché des Carmes

This covered market is a key part of the Carmes neighborhood. In its spot originally was a Catholic convent, whose members were called Carmes and Carmélites. About 200 years ago, the space became a market. This market has undergone a few transformations during the years; in the mid-1960s, it was torn down and rebuilt with a large parking garage on top. Under all of these cars, Toulousains can still find fresh produce, milk, cheese, wine, and baked goods. The market is also surrounded on 4 sides by restaurants, bars, and bistros with chairs lining the street.
 

Eglise Notre-Dame de la Dalbade

During our stop outside the Eglise Notre-Dame de la Dalbade, built in the 1600s, we learned about all of the different types of materials that are used for construction throughout the city. Some of these French words are easier to guess for English-speakers than others...

One of the groups also got a photo in front of the doors to the church, with the beautiful artwork that has been tirelessly kept up throughout the years.

Below you can see a few more photos taken throughout the 4 different tours this afternoon. We are a big group with 60+ students, after all, so we often have to split up into groups!