LE QUARTIER SAINT-SERNIN (JOURNÉES DU PATRIMOINE)

The neighbourhood borders the northern edge of the ancient city. It lies outside the ramparts that once stood beneath the Place du Capitole. It is therefore indeed a new Romanesque settlement that began to take shape as early as the 11th century.

It was here, around the building site of the abbey and the basilica dedicated to St Saturnin, that life was bustling: pilgrims prayed on the Way of St James, whilst stonemasons set to work with their chisels. However, whilst the Basilica of Saint-Sernin is the highlight of this tour, the guide will also take you to some rather more surprising places!

A hub of both commerce and spirituality, the market town was incorporated into the city around 1140 and surrounded first by palisades and then by ramparts. Later, during the 13th and 14th centuries, the neighbourhood was swelled by a new population: students! The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in France, founded in 1229. It specialises in Roman law, and over the centuries this Latin Quarter has seen the emergence of increasingly comfortable student accommodation. The tour includes stops at these places known as ‘colleges’: Périgord, Esquile and St Raymond.

Then, in the 18th century, the neighbourhood underwent a transformation. Indeed, the scandalous Jean Dubarry had a mansion built behind the basilica, and the Carmelite nuns established a pretty convent just a stone’s throw away.

Without giving too much away, the guide will also tell you about ‘Papi Bonbon’, the ‘temple of learning’ and the Basque-style villas clustered together on Rue St Bernard…

Guided tour organised by the Toulouse Tourist Office as part of the European Heritage Days. Booking essential; places are limited.

Good to know: Dress code for the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
No caps, vests, miniskirts, shorts, backless tops or bare shoulders.
If your shoulders or back are bare, or if you’re wearing a vest, the Basilica provides shawls. You can collect one from the kiosk.