Donjon du Capitole

The Donjon du Capitole rises as a heavy, square stone tower topped with a distinct brick roof that contrasts with the surrounding city architecture. Built in the sixteenth century to house the city archives and the municipal gunpowder supply, it served as the stronghold for the Capitouls, the powerful magistrates who governed Toulouse. When the revolution swept through, the city authorities stored their official records here, shielded behind these thick walls. Today, the tower holds the tourist office, guarding maps instead of flintlock munitions.