A basilica has been located on this spot in Toulouse since the 300s, and Charlemange donated some rare relics to the place that made it something of a "must see" for pilgrims of the era.
The "new" basilica was somewhere around 1096. That's when the building was consecrated, so it's fair to guess that construction had been going on for quite a while before that. Perhaps it is turning 1,000 years old right about now. It might be worth noting here that some changes were made to the design in 1860 or so, but those are in the process of being removed so that the facility can return to its original look.
The inside is suitably impressive, with the walls reaching well up into the sky. The building received a designation in 1998 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, something that comes up often in this part of the world, relatively speaking.
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