Visitors are only allowed once a year to pay their respects before the sarcophagus of Saint Saturninus, which stands in the Basilica of Saint Sernin.
Today, the Basilica is one of the largest reliquaries in the world, housing nearly a hundred relics, the most important of which is that of Saint Saturninus, the first bishop of Toulouse, who died a martyr in 250.
In the year 400, a funeral church was built on the current site of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, where the sarcophagus of Saint Saturninus, the martyr saint who was dragged through the city of Toulouse by a bull, was placed.
In the 11th century, the funeral church was replaced by the Romanesque basilica we know today.
The sarcophagus of Saint Saturninus remains in its place under the sanctuary and the marble altar table consecrated in 1096 by Pope Urban II. The whole structure was surrounded by an ambulatory large enough to accommodate the crowds attracted by the saint's virtues.
In 1258, the sarcophagus was exhumed and in 1284, it was raised to the upper floor of a Gothic-style baldachin mausoleum, in a silver shrine that can still be seen in the oil painting on the north wall of the choir. In the 18th century, the baldachin that can be seen today was finally substituted for the upper floor. The ancient marble tomb is still there, in the gilded wooden sarcophagus surmounted by the baroque figure of Saturninus in apotheosis.
The sarcophagus can only be visited once a year, around November 29, but the crypt is open permanently.
Finally, on the floor of the crypt, you can see a period ceramic tile that bears a striking resemblance to the current logo of the Stade Toulousain rugby club.
Basilique Saint-Sernin
13 Place Saint Sernin
31000 Toulouse
Tel.: +33 (0)5 61 21 80 45
secretariat@basilique-saint-sernin.fr
https://basilique-saint-sernin.fr/
Translated with DeepL.com
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