The Basilica of St. Sernin

         

In the beginning of Shadows of Montsegur, Andreva, a seventeen year-old novice at the convent affiliated with the Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse, France, is summoned by her Uncle Bostel to the Ariege village of Lavelanet in southern France to care for her grandmother.

The original St. Sernin (or St. Saturnin) was built in the 4th century. The abbey no longer remains and the basilica was rebuilt between 1080 and 1120. It is now surrounded entirely by the city of Toulouse. It is the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe, if not the world. It is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

The unique spire of St. Sernin

the Ambulatory

Street market

Romanesque architecture

St. Sernin's tomb

St. Sernin was the first bishop of Toulouse, circa. 250.

Peter, James, and John

Side entrance

The crucifixion of Christ

Relics

Nave

North Aisle

Organ pipes

Stairway to ambulatory

Read more about this beautiful cathedral on Wikipedia.