Basilica of Saint-Sernin

Our Lady of Taur, built between the fourteenth and sixteenth century, was originally dedicated to the first bishop of Toulouse, Saturnin. The martyred bishop was dragged down the Capitol, tied to the tail of a bull (hence the name "Taur" which means bull).

The convent of the Jacobins of Toulouse is composed of a church (Church of the Jacobins), a cloister, a chapter house, a refectory and a chapel (Chapelle Saint-Antonin). It was built by the Order of Friars Preachers in 1230 to counter the influence of the Cathar heresy. These buildings entirely in brick are considered a perfect example of Languedoc Gothic art. In these buildings, was established the old University of Toulouse (1229-1793) until its suppression to the French Revolution.

The construction of the church began in 1602; the Carthusian brothers, driven out of the Carthusian monastery of Notre-Dame de Bellevue de Saïx (near Castres) by the Protestants, decided to build a monastery within the walls of Toulouse. After the fall of the first dome in 1609, the building was raised. The church was consecrated by Cardinal François de Sourdis on 20 May 1612. After the Revolution, the monks are expelled and the convent is transformed into an arsenal. Only the church, the former pharmacy, parts of the hotel (including a remarkable brick exterior corridor) and part of the cloister remain today. In 2001, the shock wave caused by the explosion of the AZF factory in the south of the town shook the walls of the church, forcing reinforcement work to be carried out. Some superficial cracks due to this episode are still visible. The church was first of all dedicated to the Virgin and to Saint Paul of Thebes, one of the first hermits and an important figure for the Carthusian monks.