Su questo luogo
Rising in warm rose colored brick at the northern edge of the old town, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin is the largest Romanesque building still standing in Europe, stretching more than one hundred meters in length beneath a tiered octagonal bell tower. It was built to shelter the tomb of Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse, who was martyred around the year 250 when a sacrificial bull dragged him through the streets. A rich hoard of relics, said to have been gifted by Charlemagne, turned the church into one of the busiest stops for pilgrims walking south toward Santiago de Compostela, and its wide ambulatory was designed so crowds could file past the holy bones. Pope Urban the Second consecrated its altar in 1096, and in 1998 the basilica was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the pilgrimage routes through France.
Fatti principali
- 1096 year — Pope Urban the Second consecrated the high altar of the basilica
- 1998 year — Listed by UNESCO as part of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage routes
- 115 meters — Its great length makes it the largest Romanesque church in Europe
📍 Place Saint-Sernin, 31000, Toulouse