Wearing woad, Napoleon and a charity for sick children

Discover how 19th-century blockades by the British led to Napoleon's attempt to resurrect woad, or pastel. wearing-woad.html

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The secret of pastel, or how to turn a green plant into blue and gold

In English, isatis tinctoria is commonly known as woad. In Toulouse it was pastel. Extracting the blue dye from these green leaves was a long and complicated process, but it generated enormous wealth for the region. the-secret-of-pastel-or-how-to-turn-a-green-plant-into-blue-and-gold.html

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Hôtel d’Assézat: a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture

How did Pierre Assézat become so rich, he could begin building one of the finest Renaissance mansions in Toulouse? And why did he run out of money halfway through the project? Discover the ups and downs of the pastel trade and the damaging effects of the Wars of Religion. hotel-dassezat-a-masterpiece-of-renaissance-architecture.html

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