La Violette de Toulouse
A love story, a flower, and the woman who made it her passion
Although Toulouse is often referred to as the ‘La ville rose,’ purple is the color that best represents the French city . Its emblem, the violet, has been associated with the city since the 19th century and is currently a registered trademark. After its introduction in the 19th century, the flower became booming business with many growers and perfumers cashing in on its popularity and more than 600,000 bouquets being exported worldwide annually. Today, the violet is not only used in fragrances, scented candles and soaps, or as decoration, but its subtle flavor makes it a highly-regarded ingredient in liqueurs, jam and all kinds of confectionery. In Toulouse, the flower is even honored with an annual celebration that includes a wide variety of expositions and a market. This year, it will be taking place on 4 and 5 February on Place du Capitole.
In order to get a better idea of why this unique flower has gained such recognition, I visited La Maison de la Violette – a beautiful barge moored on the Canal du Midi, not far from the Matabiau railway, in the center of the city.
The barge was converted into an exquisite shop by the queen of Toulousian violets, Hélène Vié – a woman with a tremendous passion for one of the city’s most beautiful products. At her shop, Hélène offers a fine selection of violet items and a variety of interesting workshops.
After an indulgently aromatic cup of violet tea, I take some time to get acquainted with La Maison de la Violette before my meeting with Hélène. Her mini-purple paradise is stocked with an exciting variety of violet products. There are liqueurs; assorted sizes of glass jars and small metal baskets filled with sweets; toiletries such as soaps, body lotions and fragrances; purple hand towels attractively tied with matching ribbon; and a selection of teas, sugar-coated violets and other edible gourmet delicacies. At the ‘espace degustation’, I sample the confit of violets which is delicately scented and utterly delightful.
Not far from the sampling table, is a shelf filled with books where one can find information about the Toulousian violet. I don’t know if it has something to do with the abundance of purple (a color that is associated with spirituality and has been said to help balance the mind and calm the senses), but it isn’t long before I notice how incredibly serene and welcome I feel.
I meet with Hélène, who full of enthusiasm, tells me about a ‘love story.’ It is this love story that drove her to devote a shop entirely to the flower and make the plant her life’s work.
READ MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF TOULOUSE’S VIOLET AND ABOUT LA MAISON DE LA VIOLETTE BY UPGRADING TO A PAID SUBSCRIPTION