Here is a photo of a Christ figure represented in Stone in the crypt of St. Sernin. It is called "Christ In Majesty" (by Bernard Gilduin in the 12th century)St. Sernin was the martyr Saturnin, first Bishop of Toulouse who lived in the 3rd Century and was said to be a second tier apostle. A sort of 2 degrees away from the main man, Jesus the Christ. Toulouse was still a Roman city when he showed up and in 250 he died after being dragged to death by a sacrificial bull. The spot where his remains were buried became the Norte Dame de Taur (Our Lady Of Bull and no I don't think it means that!) Eventually he was dug up and moved to the Big House were he remains or where his remains remain !
The reason there was such a big house built was two fold. First it was dedicated to St. Sernin but second it was a major stopping place on the way to St Jacques-de-Compstelle, Spain. That's right Saint James who was a first tier disciple sent to Spain to spread the good word. Via Toulouse is the most Southern Route for this Pilgrimage and in 1998 was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
However long before that, 1070 AD in fact, the local canons recognized that they had a good thing going and that as long as thousands of people were going to come through your town you should make worth everyone's time! This led to the church being built with a Crypt and an Ambulatory were pilgrims could also take a tour of the relics known as the "Tour of the Holy Bodies" which of course I took and leads me back to the title.
The stone figure of Christ is smooth from the touch of people for almost 900 years. The stone steps are worn from the feet of a millennium of pilgrims, the original altar from 1027 still stands and it just makes you think...
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