It's really great when you think you know one place up and down and suddenly you come across a nice spot you had not even heard about.
It happened to me a couple of weeks ago here in Toulouse when in one of my long weekend strolls (quite unrelated to me, but did you know that some of the greatest thinkers in history absolutely loved to indulge themselves in very long walks?) I stumpled upon the Carmelites Chapel. It's in one street (rue de Périgord) connecting other 2 (Taur and Réemusat) that I've walked over in countless occasions, but I had never taken this connecting route.
Though the outside is simple and not particularly appealing, I've learnt that as with people it's sometimes good to take the time to look in the inside, and this time it was well worth. I found there an impressively decorated space. Beautiful paintings on the walls, with those in the space between windows depicting the virtues for a female (in the Christian tradition) and above you, some of the most beautiful painted ceilings that I've ever seen. I think the place is quite underrated, as apart from the French Wikipedia article, you'll find very little information about it (for example it does not show up in the main free tourist guides handed out by the Toulouse city council). Inside the building though, you'll find a rather useful paper sheet with information about the place.
In this same street you'll find a nice public library, Bibliothèque d’étude et du patrimoine that is well worth a visit. I quite like the female sculptures outside representing literature, and the main door, and inside you'll find a nice stained glass piece, a beautiful dome and a "place of knowledge" feeling.
Last week I bought this nice book with panoramique pictures of Toulouse, you can find them here.
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