Toulouse’s La Saladedistrict hides its secrets well. While its name may evoke a healthy meal, a peaceful spot or a nod to agricultural activities, the historical reality is far more chilling. Located to the north of the city, this district conceals a macabre past. A past in which pitchforks – instruments of torture – flourished in the city.
La Salade: a place of public condemnation
In the north of Toulouse, between avenue de Fronton and boulevard Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, the Salada, from the Occitan name for the patibular forks, once stretched out . These stone and wooden structures were designed to display condemned prisoners for all to see. Hanging from wooden crossbeams, their decomposing bodies hung there until the crows had finished their macabre feast. The aim? To frighten passers-by and discourage any attempts at robbery.
Although the area now bordered by Les Minimes and La Vache is a far cry from this inglorious past, it has long been marked by these sinister executions. Until 1787, this district of Toulouse served as a stage for these public spectacles, long after the practice had been abolished in other regions.
A deterrent for criminals
The gibbets of La Salade were not there by chance. Placed at the entrance to the town, they reminded everyone, locals and foreigners alike, of the fate reserved for criminals. The sight of rotting corpses hanging from the Barrière de Paris had a chilling effect on the ardor of criminals. Toulouse, then the judicial center for the Languedoc region, had up to six pitchforks.
Far removed from the market gardening activities that settled in the area in the 19th century, La Salade takes its name from this bygone era. Today, the neighborhood has moved on, but its morbid history remains engraved in the city’s memory. It’s a story with a raw edge.