Notre-Dame du Taur

Notre-Dame du Taur is a Roman Catholic church located in Toulouse, France. According to legend, the edifice was built on the exact spot where the body of Saint Saturnin, patron saint of Toulouse, became detached from the bull that dragged the martyr to his death. The church stands in the rue du Taur between the Capitole and the Basilica of St. Sernin. It has been classified as a historic monument since 1840.

History

The church of Notre-Dame du Taur occupies the site where, according to legend, the body of Saint Saturnin, first bishop of Toulouse, martyred in 250, became detached from the bull that had dragged him to his death. The body was buried where it fell, and an oratory was constructed.

Toulouse being an important stage on one of the main routes of pilgrimage to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims would pause to honour the saint at his tomb. Eventually their numbers became so great that in the 12th century a larger church was built to accommodate them, the present-day Basilica of Saint-Sernin, to which Saturnin’s bones were also transferred.

The present building, originally Saint-Sernin du Taur, was constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries. In 1783 a gatehouse in Toulouse’s city wall was demolished, and the statue of the Virgin Mary which had been located in an oratory there was moved to Saint-Sernin du Taur, which accordingly then took the name Notre-Dame du Taur.

Address: 12 Rue du Taur, 31000 Toulouse, France
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 10AM
Phone: +33 5 61 21 80 45
Architectural style: Southern French Gothic
Province: Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse