The walking along la rue de Taur towards Saint-Sernin Basilica was singular ... the architecture of the houses ... their "blending" colours ... the windows ... the towering five-tiered bell tower of the Romanesque Basilica edifice in the distance ...
The perfect "marriage of brick and stone" of the one hundred and fifteen metres long Basisica ... stood there ... as if wanting to inadvertently catch people's attention ...
Built between 1080 and 1120 in the form of a crucifix, the double aisled Basilica differs from earlier traditional churches, one of the main reasons being the fact that it became an important venerating place for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Its ambulatory (known as the tour of the holy bodies) allowed pilgrims to move around without disturbing the canelicon's services. It is impressive because of the number of chapels, niches, guilded cabinets and precious baroque style relics for veneration.
I could not leave without visiting the upper and lower crypts with their shrines, golden reliquaries and liturgical objects though I must confess the ambulatory was the part of the Basilica that impressed me the most together with the transept romanesque frescoes.
The next stop would once more be along the rue de Taur ... and despite the fact that I wouldn't have enough time to visit all the places I had thought I would ... I was satisfied with having chosen the Basilica first ...
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