Toulouse, France isn’t exactly the first city that comes to mind when it comes to places in the world with interesting churches. Rome? Sure. (Click here to read about the churches of Rome.) But Toulouse? Not really.

And yet, France’s pink city has some of the more fascinating – and huge – churches I’ve seen anywhere in Europe. Why is this? Well, it stems mostly from Toulouse’s geography. But first, some history.

Toulouse’s relevance in terms of Christianity dates to the third century CE and Saint Saturnin (Saint-Sernin in French). Sent as one of Pope Fabian’s emissaries to convert the Gauls, Saturnin was the first bishop of Toulouse. He was killed by pagan priests in 257 CE rather gruesomely, being tied to a bull and dragged around the city by the stampeding animal.

Saturnin’s burial spot was declared to be a holy site, and a basilica was constructed over the top in the 4th century. And then came Charlemagne. As pilgrimage routes through the Frankish kingdom into Spain and Santiago de Compostela were established, Toulouse’s Christian importance grew. So Charlemagne donated relics from numerous Christian saints to the new basilica, and gave funding for its enlarging. That new, enlarged, basilica was dedicated in 1096, and named for Saint Saturnin.

Today, Basilica Saint-Sernin is one of the largest and most impressive Romanesque churches in Europe, and one of the largest brick buildings in the world. Its exterior is defined by its huge brick bell tower. With five different levels, it was built in stages between the 12th and 13th centuries, with the spire added in the 15th.

The interior is spacious, which as we will see is one of the more defining characteristics of churches in Toulouse. One can’t get too close to the altar, but it is built like a crown with beautiful ceiling frescoes above.

However, the most defining characteristic of Saint-Sernin is its crypt. In addition to Saturnin, Saint Honoratus is also buried here. But there are also literally dozens of reliquaries containing remains of other Catholic saints. Ever since Charlemagne began by sending holy relics to this place, the tradition has continued, and today there are said to be relics of more than 100 saints in this single basilica!

After Saint Saturnin’s ill fated time in Toulouse, the Roman Empire (as we know) converted en masse to Christianity. In the year 410, Emperor Honorius ordered the conversion of pagan temples into churches. Here in Toulouse, a Temple of Apollo along the Garonne became one such church, one of the most important in Gothic and Frankish Toulouse. Years of later neglect, however, led to its demolition in 1761, and the new Notre Dame de la Daurade was opened in the 19th century.

Today’s Basilica Notre Dame de la Daurade is still worth visiting despite its much more recent history, and that is for one major reason: the presence of one of very few Black Madonnas worldwide. This one is a replica of the original, which was stolen from the same-named original church in the 15th century. It is unique and beautiful.

By the eleventh century, Toulouse was the capital of the semi-independent County of Toulouse (click here to read about the political history of the city), and its cathedral was begun in earnest. While it sits on the site of a 3rd century chapel and then a 5th century early cathedral, nothing of those former buildings remains, and what we see today in the Saint-Etienne Cathedral is entirely new construction begun in 1078.

Over the centuries, the building was enlarged repeatedly, but the most important addition to the uniqueness of the cathedral was an external chapel completed in the 15th century, the Chapel of Purgatory. That area would become a new choir for the cathedral, but was located outside the full building. By the 18th century, competing plans for how to incorporate both the larger cathedral and smaller chapel/choir into a single building were being debated.

The result is the 20th century oddity that is the modern Saint-Etienne, with a several meter “jog” of its central nave (to the right when looking at the altar) in the back, with that old choir serving as the rear section of the church but without a clear view. As of this writing, that rear section is closed for renovations, so the best way to see what I mean is the floor plan itself.

As with Saint-Sernin, the interior is spacious, and the construction of brick. But it is this specific odd feature that makes for a completely unique church.

As Christianity expanded and various sects formed, those too moved into Toulouse with papal permission. Two major convents still stand in the city today. The Augustine Convent is now an art museum, so we will cover that one separately in another article, but the Dominican convent, called the Convent of the Jacobins, makes for one of the most fascinating touristic visits in the city.

Begun in 1230, the convent was given its dedication and increased importance by the donation to it of the remains of Saint Thomas Aquinas, who never personally set foot in Toulouse. But such was his fame, and the corresponding importance of his relics, that this becoming his final resting place made the convent one of the most famous around.

A visit today begins for free in the church dedicated to Thomas Aquinas, and the ability to see three reliquaries of his (his remains are beneath the altar and not able to be approached closely). Now mainly empty, the cavernous (I told you this was a theme) church has huge pillars in the center that appear as trees.

To see the remainder of the convent requires an entry fee, but terrific signage takes visitors through the day to day life of monks, the history of the Dominican order, and the complex itself. Specifically, two other areas were open during my visit.

The cloister dates to the 14th century, with galleries off of it that served as meeting places for the order, as well as communal spaces.

One beautifully frescoed chapel is also open, that of Saint Antonin, although the stained glass fleur-de-lis windows appear newer. (The refectory is listed as being open, but was closed during my visit.)

After the dissolution of the Dominican order by Napoleon, the building was converted into a barracks, so it hasn’t been an active church in quite a while. But that just means a greater appreciation of the sheer size and scope.

The final noteworthy church I’m going to mention is the 17th century Carmelite Chapel. It is a less than five minutes’ walk from Saint-Sernin, and basically just consists of one small chapel that survives from a slightly larger complex. But that chapel is so stunningly painted that it is worth a visit. (There is an entry charge in theory, but it was free when I was there in March 2026 due to some minor renovations.)

The painting was completed in the 18th century, and shows the tops of the building and some of the surrounding ones as though there was no ceiling on the chapel. Saints and angels fill the scene, capped by Santa Theresa (the final image added) just above the door as you walk in. While comparisons to the Sistine Chapel are both inevitable and unfortunate, it is one of the more beautifully painted churches I’ve visited.

There are literally dozens of other churches in Toulouse, many of which are probably also stunning. But these five, which I’ve largely arranged chronologically rather than in order of importance, truly sum up just how awesome – and unique – the churches of Toulouse are. So whether you are a pilgrim or just a casual visitor, make sure to take some time to see them.

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