Place Nationale

pink heart of the City of Ingres

On sunny days, the bricks change reflections, the melody of the cutlery of the restaurants resounds, conversations animate the square and the courtyards under the arcades. Take your place in the setting. Enjoy the freshness of a glass on the tile, the local flavors at the restaurant tables, the rhythms of a concert, or the fascinating anecdotes of the tour guides on a guided tour.

For the curious

The square has features that inspired the construction of the new towns and bastides of the Midi.

Look closely at the arcades, they are not all the same size. They each correspond to the width of their respective building. The keystones, under the roofs, give you clues about the owners and the dates of construction. Behind the doors are treasures saved from fires: a medieval brick tower here, a Renaissance-era gallery there…

The buildings are suited to the dual business and personal functions. The store occupies the first floor, the first and second floors are inhabited and the upper floor recognizable by its mirrors, serves as an attic.

To discover the place

You are rather ?

©dominiqueviet Droits Réservés Montauban0190

A restaurant on the terrace

A guided tour

It’s all built of softly hissing red bricks…

Emile-Antoine Bourdelle

Focus

National square

Take a tour of the history of Place Nationale with CIAP with the “Focus Place Nationale” brochure.

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Did you know that?

Devastated by two fires in the 17th century, the square still shows some resilience, giving it a protective character.

The fire of November 11, 1616, ravaged the south side and part of the east side. To prevent such a disaster from happening again, architect Pierre Levesville had the new houses rebuilt in brick, which stood alongside the still medieval timber-framed ones. Reconstruction, completed in 1621.

A second fire broke out on June 15, 1649, wiping out most of the northern and eastern roofs. At the request of the consuls, the King’s architect Bernard Campmartin proposed to raise the facades by one floor with mirrors. This addition reinforces the monumentality of the square and its classicism.

The place and its secrets...

The square holds so many period secrets to confide in you at the corner of its arcades. Like that of its standard meter inlaid in one of its pillars, or its monumental wooden cross testifying to the location of the pilori… on this square that was also a place where justice was served. Buried under your feet and unearthed during the latest excavations, the remains of the consular house, where were kept the public documents setting the rules of life.

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