Basilica of St. Sernin, Toulouse
| Basilica of Saint-Sernin Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse Basilica de Sant Sarnin de Tolosa |
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Western entrance of the basilica.
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Toulouse |
| Geographic coordinates | 43°36′30″N 1°26′31″E / 43.6084°N 1.4420°ECoordinates: 43°36′30″N 1°26′31″E / 43.6084°N 1.4420°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Country | France |
| Year consecrated | 1180 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Minor basilica |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1998 (22nd session) |
| Parent listing | Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France |
| Reference no. | 868 |
| State Party | France |
| Region | Europe and North America |
The Basilica of Saint-Sernin (Occitan: Basilica de Sant Sarnin) is a church in Toulouse, France, the former abbey church of the Abbey of Saint-Sernin or St Saturnin. Apart from the church, none of the abbey buildings remain. The current church is located on the site of a previous basilica of the 4th century which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in c. 250. Constructed in the Romanesque style between about 1080 and 1120, with construction continuing thereafter, Saint-Sernin is the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe, if not the world. The church is particularly noted for the quality and quantity of its Romanesque sculpture. In 1998 the basilica was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
The abbey of Saint-Sernin was an ancient foundation. St. Sylvius, bishop of Toulouse, began construction of the basilica towards the end of the 4th century.
Its importance increased enormously after Charlemagne (r. 768-800) donated a quantity of relics to it, as a result of which it became an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage location in its own right. The size of the current building and the existence of an ambulatory may reflect the need to accommodate increasing numbers of pilgrims.
The difficulty of determining an accurate chronology for the construction of Saint-Sernin and the completion of its sculpture has given rise to numerous problems. At least as early as the 1010s, Bishop Pierre Roger had set aside a portion of the offerings to Saint-Sernin for an eventual rebuilding of the Carolingian church. During the decade of the 1070s and by 1080 at the latest, the canons of Saint-Sernin had accepted the rule of St. Augustine and had placed themselves under the direct control of the Holy See. Nevertheless, there are only two firm dates that bear directly on the church itself and even these involve certain difficulties. On May 24, 1096, Pope Urban II dedicated the altar of the still largely incomplete building. Although there have been numerous attempts to determine the point that construction had reached at this time, the most that can be said with certainty is that 1096 is a firm terminus ante quem. That is, construction must have begun at least several years before that date.
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