Octagonal bell tower
Tiers of arches.
Don-vip — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Didier Descouens — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marmontel — CC BY 2.0 · PierreSelim — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Léna — CC BY 3.0
The Basilica of Saint-Sernin is a Romanesque church in the centre of Toulouse, in south-west France, about 400 m in a straight line north of the Place du Capitole. It is often described as the largest surviving Romanesque church in Europe. It stands on the site of a 4th-century basilica built over the tomb of Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse. The abbey grew in importance as a stop for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela, and the present church was built mostly between the late 11th and the 12th century. Apart from the church, none of the abbey buildings survive. Its long body of pink brick and pale stone ends in a rounded east end of stacked chapels and roofs, and above it rises an octagonal bell tower, climbing in tiers of arched openings to a pointed spire. The church is known for the quality of its Romanesque carving, and the square around it hosts a flea market on some mornings. The basilica was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 as part of the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela in France. Entry is free, and a small fee is usually charged to visit the crypt.
Tiers of arches.
Stacked chapels and roofs.
Gardens and a market.
Place Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France
Yes, with a small fee usually charged for the crypt.
About 400 m.
