Like many important cities in Europe, Toulouse History was shaped by its strategic location. Halfway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Toulouse was made a Roman colony as early as 100 BC. Since that time, Toulouse has been an important trading center and naturally a target for many conquerors. Toulouse was ruled by several consecutive conquerors after the fall of the Roman Empire, namely the Vandals, the Visigoths and then Charlemagne's Franks. During the reign of the Franks, Toulouse, as well as Poitiers, became well known cities where Moorish invaders were stopped from overrunning all of Christian Europe,at that time a rather backwards area compared to the scientifically advanced Arabic empires.  By the end of the 9th Century CE, Toulouse and the surrounding Lanqueduc region, due to the waning power of the Franks, had become its own country with Toulouse as its capital.

High and Late Middle Ages

Feudalism and religious strife marked 11th century Europe onward, and Toulouse was no exception. Heretic Cathars tried to establish themselves in Toulouse but were quickly repulsed by the Catholic Church in the 13th century. Much of the Langueduc region was razed and left with a bitter Inquisition. If this were not enough, the Hundred Years War, where French and English forces bitterly fought one another, began in 1337 and lasted until the middle of the 15th century.

A Respite for Toulouse

After Charles VII introduced the institution of parliament in the 15th century, Toulouse was able to find some order and growth. Pastel merchants slowly brought wealth to Toulouse. This brought about a small period of cultural growth and built on the intellectual inquisitiveness instilled by the creation of the University of Toulouse 200 years before.

Renewal and Modernity

After continued ups and downs, including bouts of the plague, Toulouse finally started on a continual upward direction in the 18th century. Urban restructuring in 1750 onwards renewed the city's downtown. Large boulevards built in 1850 mirrored Haussman's improvements in Paris.

Now one of France's fastest growing regions, it is a cultural and commercial center. As the center of Europe's aerospace industry, Toulouse is the producer of cutting-edge technology, including advances in hydroelectricity and satellite equipment. “La Ville Rose,” the nickname of Toulouse--thanks to its distinct pastel colored buildings--is an important city both for tourists and students alike.