José Manuel Herrador

The basilica of Saint-SerninUNESCO heritage

This basilica of brick and stone from the XI Century is actually one of the largest Romanesque buildings in the Occident!

On the Way of St James

Built in honour of Saint Saturnin (or Sernin), the first bishop of Toulouse, its construction stretched from the XI to the XIII Century. Stroll around this building and admire the elegant apse, studded with chapels right up to its octagonal bell tower, so characteristic of the architecture of Toulouse.

Inside, 5 wide vaulted naves converge above the choir and the wooden canopy with gold leaf and marble. You can access the crypts and tower that hold the relics of saints, a treasure that bears witness to the prestigious past of this church that attracted so many pilgrims.

An ancient stop on the Way of St James, it is a listed UNESCO heritage site.

The coral flower

The Toulouse singer Claude Nougaro paid vibrant tribute to the basilica of Saint-Sernin in his song "Ô Toulouse”:
"There is a storm in the air and yet Saint Sernin church lights up the evening like a coral flower illuminated by the sun".

Sculptures romanes de la basilique Saint-Sernin

Grands sites de Midi-Pyrénées - Patrice Thébault

Romanesque sculptures

Tympanums, the Miègeville door, capitals...the decorative features of the basilica carved in stone are masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture.

The Miègeville door owes its name to the fact that it opens out in front of the road that once crossed the centre of the city (mièja vila). On its tympanum made of Pyrenean marble it depicts the scene of the Ascension of Christ, surrounded by angels and the twelve apostles, alongside two other figures in the lower part of the piece. The doorway dates from the start of the XII Century.

Above you can see the cornice with very fine sculpted modillions whose subjects are, in part, taken from the bestiary of Romanesque art.

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@ Rémi Deligeon - Agence d'attractivité Toulouse

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