Saint-Sernin basilica Toulouse

Basilique St-Sernin, Toulouse

Saint-Sernin basilica located in Toulouse, France was built during the Romanesque Period between AD 1080 and 1120. It is located on the site of a previous, 4th century basilica which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin. He was the first bishop of Toulouse in AD 250 and martyred by pagan priests, who tied him by his feet to a bull which dragged him about the town until the rope broke.

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History

Charlemagne donated some relics to the church which then became a major stopover for pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela and a pilgrimage location where important relics could be viewed. The current building was built to accommodate these pilgrims.

Elizabeth Boyle O'Reilly in her comprehensive book "How France Built her Cathedrals" (1921), published by Harper and Brothers, London and New York, wrote: "While the Toulouse monastery church was rising, its self-same plan appeared in the northeast corner of Spain in the Cathedral of Santiago Compostela, begun in 1082, too direct a copy to have been done by any but St. Sernin's own architect or his favorite pupil. In Spain the works went faster, so that Santiago Cathedral was completed long before the abbatial at Toulouse, and, being constructed in stone, its interior has not been marred by centuries of whitewashing."

The stone that killed Simon de Montfort in 1218, while he was besieging Toulouse, was thrown from the roof of St. Sernin.

In 1860, Viollet-le-Duc restored the church, but his changes are currently being removed to restore the original appearance.

Features

Despite being called a basilica, Saint-Sernin deviates from the basilica plan of early Christian architecture in a few ways. Saint-Sernin is much larger compared to earlier churches. It is also constructed mostly of brick. It is a cruciform, or cross-shaped building. The ceilings are vaulted, unlike many of the earlier churches. Saint-Sernin contains radiating chapels which were used to display important relics. Another deviation from the earlier Christian churches is the addition of an ambulatory, a walkway that goes around the nave and side aisles to allow for viewing of the radiating chapels (which could be done while mass was being held without interrupting the ceremony). For these and other reasons, Saint-Sernin is often said to follow the Pilgrimage Plan instead of the traditional Basilica plan.

Exterior

On the exterior, the bell tower is the most visible landmark. It stands right above the transept crossing. It is divided in five tiers, of which the lower three, with Romanesque arches, date from the 12th century and the upper two from the 14th century. The spire in its turn was added in the 15th century.

The chevet is the oldest part of the building, constructed in the 11th century, and consists of nine chapels, five from the apse and four in the transepts.

The exterior is furthermore known for two doorways, the Porte des Comtes and the Porte des Miégeville. Above the Porte des Comtes is a depiction of Lazarus and Dives. Dives can be seen above the central column being kept in hell. The doorway gets its name from a nearby alcove in which the remains of four Counts of Toulouse are kept. The Porte Miégeville is known for its elaborate sculpture above the entrance, a touchstone in Medieval culture.

Interior

• The interior of Saint-Sernin measures 115x64x21 meters, making it extremely vast for a Romanesque church. The central nave is barrel vaulted, the four aisles have rib vaults and are supported by buttresses.

• Right beneath the tower and the transept, there is a marble altar, consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096 and designed by Bernard Gilduin.

• The Cathedral houses , a large three-manual Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ built in 1888. Together with the Cavaillé-Coll instruments at Saint-Sulpice in Paris and the Church of St. Ouen, Rouen, it is considered to be one of the most important organs in France.

• A large number of relics are kept in the crypt. They have been on display in the crypt since the 17th century and consist of the remains of saints.

• The patrons of Saint-Sernin are likely to have been a combination of clergy and local political leaders.

Lodging

 See the listing of the Hotels in Toulouse