“Delpech” it echoes through the ages. Rue Jacques-Matthieu-Delpech stands before us a lane steeped in history. This street in Toulouse has seen many transformations. Today we will delve into its past.
Rue Jacques-Mathieu-Delpech is located in the heart of the Saint-Georges district. The street stretches 234 meters. Its width varies between five and ten meters.
Let’s talk names. The street has not always been known as Rue Jacques-Mathieu-Delpech. In the Middle Ages it was called Rue de Sayras. Sometimes it was referred to with mention to a well at the end near the Chemin des Escoussières.
By the mid-16th century the street adopted the name of a local property owner. It became Rue de Maigavi or Maigabi. The 18th century saw another name change. It was then known as Rue de la Courège. This name supposedly came from Jean Courrège. He was a master baker who owned a house at the corner of Chemin des Escoussières.
In 1806 the name was translated into French. It became Rue de la Courroie. Finally on February 7 1842 the street received its current name. It was named in honor of Jacques-Mathieu Delpech. He was a surgeon born in Toulouse.
Jacques-Mathieu Delpech was a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier. His father was a printer. The Delpech family owned a house nearby on Rue Joseph-de-Malaret.
The most significant changes to Rue Jacques-Mathieu-Delpech occurred in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1950s the municipality wanted to transform the Clottes district. It was considered one of the most unsanitary areas in the city center. A plan for urban renewal was organized. This created a new Saint-Georges district.
The entire western part of Rue Jacques-Mathieu-Delpech was affected by these works. The first buildings were erected in 1964. One of these buildings was constructed for the Toulouse public housing office.
Between 1968 and 1971 Atelier 4 built a new building. This was at the intersection of Rue Malaret. Today it stands at numbers 4 and 6.
Now let’s talk about specific buildings. At number 2-2bis stands an apartment building. It was one of the first to be built during the development of the Saint-Georges district. It was constructed in 1964 for the public housing office. The building’s frame is made of reinforced concrete filled with hollow brick.
At number 6 another apartment building stands. It was constructed during the second phase of the Saint-Georges district development between 1968 and 1971. It is made of concrete and hollow brick covered with facing brick. The building has six levels including a basement a ground floor a mezzanine and three stories.
The street you see before you today is a testament to Toulouse’s evolving history. It has been shaped by urban renewal and named in honor of a distinguished surgeon. Rue Jacques-Mathieu-Delpech is a microcosm of Toulouse itself. A place where the past and present converge.