Toulouse Trivia Quiz

Answer: Haute-Garonne

Haute-Garonne is in Occitanie, France's southernmost region, which is bordered by Spain and Andorra to the south. It is one of the original 83 departments formed during the French Revolution. Like many French departments, it is named after a river (the Garonne in this case, which enters France from Spain in the town of Fos).

Answer: The Pink City

Or, in French, 'la Ville Rose'. The clay used to make the bricks for the pinkish-red buildings of Toulouse comes from the local clay terraces formed by the Garonne, and its high iron oxide gives the bricks their signature colour. The practice of using this clay for bricks dates back as far as the Roman age, and there are still a few buildings left over from that period, such as an amphitheatre.

Another nickname for Toulouse is the 'Cité des Violettes', due to the spread of violets around the area after they were introduced to the city in the mid-19th century. The city even has its own festival, 'la Fête de la Violette', celebrating the flower.

Answer: Humid subtropical climate

Being in the south of France, Toulouse is one of the warmer cities, although it just misses out on being classified as having a Mediterranean climate due to the amount of precipitation in summer. Winters are mild, while summers are hot. Its climate, amongst other things, makes it a popular destination for tourists.

Answer: Aerospace

Toulouse is the hub of the French aerospace industry, originally starting out as an aircraft production centre before branching out into space travel. Along with Bordeaux, it is home to several of the companies and research centres that make up the Aerospace Valley cluster.

The Toulouse Space Centre is one of Europe's biggest space travel research centres, Airbus has its headquarters there and in past times, the first prototype for what would become Concorde was developed in Toulouse. There are also universities dedicated to engineering and aviation in the area, and a discovery centre themed around space travel, the Cité de l'Espace, which features an IMAX cinema and models of various rockets.

Answer: Rugby union

Stade Toulousain might sound like the name of a stadium, but it's actually the name of Toulouse's local rugby union team, who play their home games at Stade Ernest-Wallon. They are nicknamed 'les Rouges et Noirs' after their red and black kit. They are one of France's most successful rugby union teams, with several championship titles and a few European Rugby Champions Cups under their belts.

They play their cup matches at Stadium de Toulouse, which is also the home of the local football team, Toulouse FC, and doubles as a gig venue; Michael Jackson performed there in 1992.

Answer: Basilica of Saint-Sernin

The Basilica of Saint-Sernin was designated a World Heritage Site in 1998, due to being part of the pilgrimage networks known as Routes of Santiago de Compostela. These routes led to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Spain, where St James the Great was said to be buried. Nowadays, the network is also popular with hikers and walking tours.

The Basilica is the only remaining building of the Abbey of St-Sernin, and is located on the grounds of a former basilica which housed the body of St Sernin, its founder and the first Bishop of Toulouse.

The church is home to a bell tower, several ornate statues of religious figures and scenes and a massive organ, and is built with Toulouse's signature bricks.

Answer: 13th

The original University of Toulouse was founded by papal bull in 1229, under the Treaty of Paris, but was closed in 1793 during the French Revolution. It originally taught theology, before expanding to include other disciplines such as medicine and law. Nowadays, it is a collective of different universities and other higher educational institutes under the umbrella of the Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées.

Answer: A collection of fine art

The Musée des Augustins is a fine arts museum and art gallery with paintings and sculptures that date as far back as the Middle Ages; although it does not have any Roman art, it does contain a large amount of Romanesque sculpture. The original building was built with Toulouse's trademark pink bricks in 1309 and was originally an Augustine convent, before becoming secularised and changing to a museum in 1795.

The cloister was turned into a medieval collections section, and also houses a medieval garden.

While the art there is predominantly French, works by artists from elsewhere in Europe are also featured. A large amount of the art consists of church property seized during the French Revolution.

Answer: Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a slow-cooked stew that originates from the Occitania region (its name comes from the cassole, the earthenware pot in which it is traditionally cooked). Its principal ingredients are white beans, tomatoes, pork skin and meats such as pork, goose or mutton.

The local sausage, the Saucisson de Toulouse, often features in local cassoulet recipes. Some varieties use duck confit or partridge. Other popular local dishes include foie gras, made from the liver of a fattened goose, and garbure, a stew consisting of cabbage, meat - traditionally goose leg confit - and grains.

Answer: Jardins Compans-Caffarelli

Jardins Compans-Caffarelli, or Compans-Caffarelli Park, is a large public garden/park in the Compans-Caffarelli business district, most known for its Japanese garden. The garden is based on the gardens of Kyoto and features a Japanese-style bridge, a tea house and Japanese plants, such as bamboo and water lilies.

It was conceived by the mayor of Toulouse, Pierre Baudis, who was inspired after seeing a similar garden in Ireland. Elsewhere in Compans-Caffarelli Park, there's a set of statues inspired by various towns twinned with Toulouse, such as a phoenix for Atlanta and a bust of the Lady of Elche for the Spanish town of Elche.