SUMMARY

Georges BACCRABÈRE, Old Excavations by Archeolog Léon Joulin at the Niel Barracks in Toulouse

The " Musée du Vieux Toulouse " spare rooms are storing the products of excavations directed by L. Joulin at the beginning of the century in the area of " Caserne Niel ", St Roch district in Toulouse. The present stock-list includes a record of " pits " (wells and graves), a revised list of objects and some datation data (Ist to IId c. A.D.). The site investigated by L. Joulin is providing evidence of the antiquity of settlements on the Garonne river right bank, somewhat south of roman Toulouse, at one of the end points of the main route coming from Mediterranea.

Valérie ROUSSET, The Savanac " Borie "

The Savanc (Lot) " Borie " (a typical dwelling) is a true urban style palace, settled on the Lot river right bank, up-stream of Cahors. This wide mansion was erected during the first half of XIVth c. by a Cadurcian merchant family : it was structured into four buildings, ordered around a rectangular courtyard. A roman-style traditional tower exhibits its défensive function whereas a wealthy ornament scenery is evidence of its use as a dwelling.

Maurice PRIN, The Jacobin Convent in Toulouse, a sufferer of earth-quakes in 1427-1428

A brief from Pope Nicolas the Vth throws some light on the problem raised by numerous chinks observed on the buildings of the Jacobin Convent in Toulouse. We are dealing with scars of an earth-quake which took place at the beginning of XVth c. The most entangled areas were the north corner of the church western facade, the side-walls of the double-nave first five ribs, the bases of the central column line and the steeple staircase. The old dormitory, next to the north gallery of the cloister, had to be rebuilt and the dining room roof surface got entirely renewed.

Bruno TOLLON, Reexamining the " Escallier de Toulouze " or " Vis des Archives " (The " Toulouse-Staircase " or " Archiv-Spiral ")

An extensive reexamination of documents kept in the Toulouse City Archiv Department has allowed a renewal of our knowledge of a famous tower, auxiliary to the Archiv Tower, which suspended staircase, called the " Archiv-Spiral ", is an examplary unique in the Tolosan architecture. The concept of this outstanding achievement is due to Benoît Augier, commissioned by the " Capitouls " (City Council) in 1531 ; Sébastien Bouguereau, a stone carving plain operator, experienced many problems in the binding of the helical stair which was completed in 1535-1536 only.

Pascal JULIEN, The Stalls of St Étienne’s Cathedral of Toulouse, a Model Working Site (1610-1613)

When shattered in 1609 by a disastrous fire, the choir of Toulouse Cathedral was magnificently restored during the years 1610 to 1613. Particularly, it was endowed with new stalls conceived by the Master-joiner Pierre Monge, and performed by Antoine Morizot and Louis Béhorri. This magnificent wood scenery not only provides evidence of the renewal of religions art which was triggered by the catholic reformation move in Toulouse, but it then stood for an aesthetic standard of the liturgical furniture all along the XVIIIth c. in Languedoc and in Gascoigne as well. At the present time, the problem of preservation of this exceptional structure is a matter of concern.

Georges COSTA, The Grave of the first Earl of Épernon in the Minime Convent at Cazaux

In Caumont Castle, at Cazaux-Savès (Gers), where was born Jean-Louis de La Valette, the to-be Earl of Epernon, are still found the funerary statues of his parents, Jean de Nogaret de La Valette († 1575) and Jeanne de Saint-Lary de Bellegarde († 1611). These white marble recumbent figures previously lied next to the own grave that the Earl of Épernon got erected in the Cazaux Minime convent church that he had got built. The funerary monument was ordered in Toulouse to the known sculptor Arthur Legoust ; the order fulfilment was overdelayed and completed in the year 1632 only.

Academic Year 1991-1992 Bulletin

A record of the Society semi-monthly sessions providing information on many aspects of its activity. Specific reports are on discussions following public lectures, whether these will be published or not in the Mémoires annual issue. Aside of archeological information is provided a bibliographie index.

Translated by Claude PÉAUD-LENOËL