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For curious editors and writers, who have already said all there is to say about Paris and the Riviera, Provence and Brittany, Midi-Pyrénées offers a new side of France. Exciting and provocative, it is the French discovery destination of the ’90s. Its unique history, landscape, culture, and cuisine set it apart from the well-travelled paths tourists already know. It is a land full of promise and rewards.
Toulouse called the Rose City for the pink hue imparted by its many buildings fashioned from brick, Toulouse is a dazzling, colourful city that gives something for everyone.
The great Romanesque St-Sernin Basilica from the 11th century is distinguished by its octagonal bell-tower and combined brick-and-stone construction. The 13th-century Church of the Jacobins was the first rectangular-shaped church in France and is unique in its innovative use of ridged vaulting.
Toulouse has more Renaissance mansions than any other city in France. They were built by wealthy bourgeois who aspired to out-build one other, adding ever more elegant details and taller towers to their homes throughout. The Fondation Bemberg art collection—housed in one of the Renaissance mansions, the stunning Hôtel d’Assézat—is renowned for its rich collection of Old Masters, Impressionists, Bonnards, and Expressionists, and is a must see for visitors.
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