Basilique Notre-Dame du Taur

The Basilique Notre-Dame du Taur stands on the Rue du Taur, the old street that links the Capitole with the great Romanesque basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, and its position gives it a special place in the story of the city's patron saint. According to tradition, Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse, who is known locally as Sernin, was seized by a pagan crowd about the year 250 and dragged to his death by a bull, tied to the animal by his feet and pulled through the streets from the Capitol. The place where the rope broke and the saint's body fell is said to be where the church stands today, and its name comes from the Occitan word for bull, taur. Later, pilgrims who visited the tomb at Saint-Sernin walked this same street.

The building as seen today dates from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries and is a good example of the Gothic style of the Toulouse region, called southern Gothic, which uses brick instead of stone and favours broad, single-aisled churches with little ornament. The facade is plain and tall, with a wall belfry, the cloche-mur, rising above it, pierced by pointed openings for the bells, a feature typical of the region. The church has been protected as a historic monument since 1840 and is a minor basilica.

Inside, the nave is a single wide aisle, covered by ribbed vaults, with side chapels along each wall, and the atmosphere is quiet and contemplative, in contrast to the crowds in the nearby streets. The walls of the chapels still carry traces of faded painted decoration, which gives the interior a worn and gentle beauty. Among the works of art is a nineteenth-century painting by Bernard Bénézet showing the martyrdom of Saint Saturnin, and a wooden statue of the Virgin. The church is an active place of worship, and its quiet makes it a good spot for a pause after the bustle of the Place du Capitole.

The church sits close to a large group of sights. The Place du Capitole, with the grand town hall facade, is a few minutes away, and the Basilique Saint-Sernin, the largest Romanesque church in Europe, is just up the road. The Musée des Augustins, the Musée des Jacobins, the Hôtel d'Assézat, the Musée Paul Dupuy, the Marché Victor Hugo and the Place du Salin offer art, history and food, and the Cité de l'Espace, a space-themed science park, lies on the edge of the city.

A weekday morning is the best time to visit for the calmest mood. The visit takes about twenty minutes. It suits architecture lovers, those interested in local tradition and anyone looking for a quiet moment.