The former abbey church of Saint-Sernin, this basilica is the only thing left of the monastery. Initially, the basilica was a sanctuary built to store the relics of the saint, the first bishop of Toulouse, who was martyred in 250. Much of the structure is Romanesque in architecture and dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The basilica is 115 meters long and is built mostly of brick. The most visible part of the basilica is the bell tower, which rises straight up the center.→