Why Toulouse is called the city of violets
Tomas k - News Writer and Moderator 
Toulouse is known as “la ville rose” thanks to its red brick buildings. But just as importantly, Toulouse is the city of violet. Every cobbled street seems to have a shop enrobed in regal purple. The football team is known as “Les Violettes” as their jerseys are purple. When Queen Elizabeth II visited the city in 2004, she wore bright violet. The colour is inextricably linked to the city thanks to a small unassuming flower with a big influence. Ally Mitchell explores the southern city’s floral charms and finds out why Toulouse is called the city of violets…
Many of us may not easily place the appearance or scent of violets, discrete as they are. They don’t possess the potency of lavender, another purple plant of southern France, nor are they famous for their multiple uses in scents and edibles. Yet the Violette de Toulouse has been a registered trademark since 1985 and, as a result, is a symbol of the whole Haute-Garonne department. A silent but scented takeover.
According to legend, violets arrived in Toulouse thanks to a romantic gesture. A soldier stationed in Northern Italy under Napoleon III in 1854 returned to Toulouse with a bunch of violets for his beloved. They were Parma violets, mentioned in Italian texts as far back as the 16th century, though they were apparently known to grow in Constantinople long before then.
Violets found the perfect home in Toulouse thanks to the climate and terroir, however, the horticulturalists had their work cut out for them. Fascinatingly, these violets were originally believed to be sterile, as they rarely produce seeds. 19th-century cultivator Armand Millet found the solution by planting cuttings and stolons, encouraging them to take root. There are more than 300 species of violets, but the Toulouse violet stands out for its perfume and lots of petals, around 30-40 is usual.
Violets are fussy when it comes to the weather – they don’t flourish in hot sunshine nor in the bitter cold. The solution was to grow them under glass. Municipal greenhouses were built in the latter half of the 19th century and, now registered as historical monuments, are still in use today.
In the 19th century, 600 family businesses earned a living from the sale of violets, the annual production amounting to 30 tonnes. The demand grew so exponentially that the flowers were soon exported to England, Germany, Russia, and Morocco. Harvested from October to March, the violets were also sold at markets as a winter flower alongside fruit and vegetables.
The 20th century saw an explosion in the production of violet goods, now no longer limited to just the cut flowers. The first bonbons – crystallised violet petals – made an appearance. Today they are an iconic mainstay of Toulousain souvenir shops. This led to their export around Europe and the city’s favourite cocktail, the Kir Royal Toulousain, with a crystallised violet dropped into a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine. In the 1950s, Toulouse’s liqueur makers Benoit Serres developed violet liqueur from the plants’ roots – and the recipe remains a secret to this day!
Since then, the gastronomic delights of violets have been explored with boundless enthusiasm, from garnishing chocolates and fudge with the crystallised bonbons, to more imaginative delicacies like the Paris-Toulouse – a delicious local take on the Paris-Brest sandwiched with an extra layer of violet cream filling – and the gourmet (and somewhat questionable) épicerie selections of violet vinegar, violet mustard, and violet jams.
Despite the city’s ongoing renown for violets, it has not always been a smooth ride for Toulouse’s horticulturalists. In 1956, the crop was largely destroyed by a bitter frost, and along with the introduction of more resistant species, the Toulouse violet faced an enormous market slump. Thirty years later, the Haute-Garonne Chamber of Agriculture and the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council did what they could to save the city’s violets, starting with a research programme and reproducing the plants in vitro. Now, over 300 species grow at the Conservatoire National de la Violette in the city’s municipal greenhouses.
There is a long list of violet-related associations in Toulouse, including La Confrerie de la Violette – one of France’s many medieval-style brotherhoods – and Les Amis de la Violette. For twenty years, the associations have teamed together to organise an annual celebration of cultural events and to sell artisanal delicacies, preserving the city’s longstanding violet tradition. Every February, La Fête de la Violette takes place in the city’s central square, Place du Capitole. Snacks include crepes and waffles sprinkled in violet sugar, and the weekend hosts potting workshops and other activities. It’s here that you’ll discover the forgotten and unusual history of violets – including the traditional violet seller dolls and the election of Miss Toulouse, Reine de la Violette (the Violet Queen).
By honouring this unassuming little flower, Toulouse is presenting the world with its emblem. Without anyone noticing, violets have bewitched the locals, bestowing la ville rose with another nickname – the city of violets.
Find details of Violet Festival and other events in Toulouse: toulouse-metropole.fr
Ally Mitchell is a blogger and freelance writer, specialising in food and recipes. She lives in Toulouse and writes at: NigellaEatsEverything.
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