Dome

Distant context view, Pont Saint-Pierre on right, leading to the hôpital de La Grave; The hospital of La Grave (hôpital de La Grave) is situated near Saint-Cyprien in Toulouse, on the left bank of the city. On nearly six acres, La Grave was the second major hospital in Toulouse. The hospital is first cited in a charter of 1197. From 1508 to 1514, the hospital was expanded and renamed Hôpital Saint-Sébastien, invoking the plague saint. La Grave Hospital is also known for its famous Chapel St. Joseph de la Grave. The first stone of the Chapel of La Grave was laid in 1758 by Gaspard de Maniban, first President of the Parliament of Toulouse. Work was not completed until 1845. It suffered structural problems and a collapse, due to its location on the alluvial soils in the bed of the river. Its foundations were replaced by concrete and the dome was finally constructed of copper over wood, to attempt to reduce the weight. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 5/19/2011)