The former church of the abbey of Saint-Sernin (or Sv . Saturnena), this basilica in Toulouse - the only thing left of the monastery . The current construction stands in place of the old basilica of the 4th century, where the relics of the saint, the first Bishop of Toulouse in 250 g . Most of the construction corresponds to the Romanesque style in architecture and dates from the 11th to 12th centuries . And special attention deserves the numerous and beautifully preserved Romanesque sculptures . In 1998 . basilica UNESCO has been included in the World Heritage List heritage as part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela .

The importance of the church increased dramatically around 800, when Charlemagne donated several relics to her, making Saint-Sernin an important stop for pilgrims who followed the path of St. James. Dimensions of the current design directly indicate that the latter was a lot. Today it is difficult to reconstruct the construction of the church, during which many problems arose. It is known that in 1096 the altar of the unfinished church was consecrated. It can also be assumed that, in general, all construction has gone through 4 main stages:

Despite the fact that the church is called basilica, it is significantly different from early Christian basil. First of all, it is simply much larger: the length of the structure is 115 m. Then, Saint-Sernin is built mainly of bricks, and the ceilings are made of vaulted. Around the nave and side chapels there is a gallery that allows you to inspect the chapels even during the Mass, without interrupting the worship.

The most notable part of the basilica is the bell tower, which rises right in the center, above the cross of the transept. It consists of three levels, of which the three lower ones, with Romanesque arches, date back to the 12th century, and the upper two - to the 14th century. The spire was added in the 15th century. The bell tower is slightly tilted to the west.

The two doors of the church are also noteworthy: Porte de Contez, over which you can see the image of Lazarus, and Porte de Muegeville, distinguished by a relief tympanum depicting the ascension of Christ, above the entrance .

Inside the basilica, you can see the tombs not only of St. Saturnen, but also many other saints, including St. Onoratus. Another noteworthy feature of the interior is the large organ created in 1888. Together with the organs in Paris Saint-Sulpice and the Rouen Church of St. Wen, this tool is considered one of the most valuable in the country.

It is worthwhile to look more closely at the numerous sculptures and reliefs of the church . @ Marble panels with relief images of Christ and the saints adorn the inner gallery and date from the end of the 12th century . The capitals of the transept columns are also decorated with sculptures with biblical characters . In total there are 268 Romanesque capitals in the interior of the basilica spruce, although many of them are too high, and they are hard to see . Each capital has a separate script from the scriptures - for example, the prophet Daniel in the lions with the lions or Avraham with Isaac . The choir reflects the medieval style : it was completely renovated in the Baroque key in the 17th and 18th centuries . The carved pillars of the 1670s are noteworthy ., sculpture S . Sernen of the work of Etienne Ross (1759 g .) and the canopy of the 18th century behind the altar, under which the relics of the saint are kept . The marble altar itself is also worthy of attention: it is decorated with carvings with relief images of angels, birds and t . d . The original altar is difficult to inspect properly, but its quality copy is in the northern transept .

Practical information

Address: Place Saint Sernin.