The Basilica of Saint-Sernin is the highest and largest Romanesque building in Europe.
Its construction began in 1075.
Saint-Sernin is dedicated to Saint-Saturnin who had founded a Christian community, while it was, at the time, fashionable to worship idols.
The people could not bear to see the influence of the man who was to become a saint grow.
To appease the gods, a bull was to be sacrificed in the Capitoline Square, but when the people saw Saturnin, they went wild and tied him to the bull, which ran away.
We can guess that Saturnin's life ended in rue du Taur, in atrocious suffering.
This martyrdom occurred in the year 250.
More mysterious is the legend or reality that hides under the Basilica.
It is said that there is an underground lake in which a part of a treasure is still buried.
The case goes back to the time of the Gauls.
A Celtic tribe had gone to Rome and Delphi from where they would have brought back tons of gold that they hid in this lake.
The story continues when the Romans occupied Toulouse and wanted to bring back to Rome the gold and other precious materials that were in the lake.
Not all of it would have been moved and some of the treasure would remain buried in this underground lake...
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