Saint Exupère church in Toulouse, Baroque church in Saint-Michel district, Toulouse, France

Saint Exupère Church is a baroque building in the Saint-Michel neighborhood featuring a distinctive octagonal bell tower that holds fourteen bells. Inside, there are plaster decorations and painted canvases from the 17th and 18th centuries, along with a large organ from the 19th century.

Built from 1620 as the chapel of the Discalced Carmelites, it was inaugurated in 1623 by Jean-Louis de Bertier under the name Saint-Joseph. Closed during the French Revolution, it was returned to worship and consecrated in 1807 under Saint Exupère, a fourth-century bishop of Toulouse. It was classified as a monument historique on 3 May 1974.

The name changed in 1807: the church, dedicated to Saint Joseph since 1623, was re-dedicated to Saint Exupère, bishop of Toulouse in the 4th century. Inside, the choir stalls are topped by paintings made for the ceiling of the Chapelle des Pénitents gris by Jean-Baptiste Despax (1709-1753), including "La Sibylle érythréenne", listed in the Palissy database.

The church is easily accessible in the Saint-Michel neighborhood and you can see the exterior and facade at any time. To visit the interior and see features like the organ or artworks, check current opening times before planning your visit.

The facade statue of Saint Joseph and the Christ Child was carved by Gervais Drouet in 1658, which makes it the only dated sculpture on the exterior. The plan of the church itself is attributed to the architect Didier Sansonnet.