The mystery of the pink bricks revealed

A thunderbolt in the world of architecture and science! A team of researchers from the University of Montauban has just uncovered an extraordinary discovery concerning Montauban’s emblematic pink bricks.

Publication du : 2 April 2025

According to this groundbreaking study, Montauban bricks owe their unique hue not to a simple mineral composition, but to an unprecedented natural phenomenon linked to… the presence of a secret microflora! These micro-organisms, dubbed Rosabrickus Apriliensis by scientists, react to the arrival of spring by producing luminous pigments. The recent presence of a water mirror on the Place Nationale has further accentuated this phenomenon, making this discovery possible.

And the most astonishing thing? This process reaches its peak every April 1, offering a unique and ephemeral spectacle.

A show not to be missed

Between 2 and 4 p.m., the bricks of Place Nationale gradually change from their usual pink to a flamboyant hue bordering on bright orange, creating an almost supernatural atmosphere. Residents and visitors can observe this rare phenomenon with the naked eye, but a technological innovation promises to enrich the experience still further.

The chromatic spectrum telescope

A unique invention

Researchers have designed a special telescope that allows them to perceive nuances invisible to the human eye. Available free of charge from the Tourist Office on April 1, this device reveals patterns hidden in the bricks, resembling real natural frescoes. Some see them as mythological figures, others as secret messages left by the builders of the time.

©Sober Cardboard Solar Eclipse Glasses Presented on a Table|AI generated

Without glasses

With glasses

A rediscovered ancestral tradition

The municipal archives also revealed that this phenomenon was well known to the people of Montalban, who used to organize festivities in honor of the “Living Bricks”. Unfortunately, this tradition was lost over the centuries, until today.

Mathieu Montor, Tourist Office Manager

So get your cameras ready, put on your chromatic spectrum glasses, and head to Place Nationale on April 1 to witness this unique spectacle! And don’t forget… a little humor and curiosity are always part of the experience 😉