Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Dauride Basilica, located on the banks of the Garonne in Toulouse, replaces a 5th century Paleo-Christian sanctuary. Built on the remains of a Roman dodecagonal temple dedicated to Apollo, it was Christianized around 450 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its name Daurade (de Deaurata, "golden") comes from the golden mosaics that adorned its apse, mentioned from the sixth century. In the 9th century, it became a Benedictine monastery, then a clunisian priory attached to Moissac in 1077. The Romanesque nave, added in the 11th century, retained three sides of the ancient temple.

The medieval church, threatened by the collapse of its dome in 1703, was demolished in 1761 after unfortunate work. The reconstruction began in 1764 according to plans inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome, but was interrupted for the development of the docks. Resumed under Napoleon, it was consecrated in 1836 and erected as a minor basilica by Pius IX in 1876. The work was completed in 1883, with the addition of a colonnade and a pediment in 1884. Inside, decorated with paintings by Bernard Bénézet, houses the remains of the Toulouse poet Pierre Goudouli.

The basilica is famous for its black Virgin, an object of Marian worship since the tenth century, especially dedicated to pregnant women. The present statue, third version after destruction (flight in the 14th century, burned in 1799), was carved in 1807. His clothes, renewed by haute couture houses, and his crowns (classified) make him a symbol of devotion. The bells, restored in 2018, ring for the first time in 70 years, with three new bells melted during Heritage Days.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1963, the basilica underwent a major restoration (2017–2019) for 5.7 million euros, including the consolidation of the bell tower and the renovation of interior decorations. It also houses a classified organ and 19th-century paintings, such as the cycle of the Virgin by Joseph Roques. Every May 3rd, a mass blessed the trophies of the Floral Games, perpetuating a Toulouse literary tradition.

The excavations revealed archaeological remains of the 6th century, including a paleo-Christian rotunda in which Rigonde, daughter of Chilperic, took refuge in 584. The priory, lord of the mills of the Daurade until the 14th century, played a major economic role before their decline. Today, the basilica, open daily, combines religious, artistic and historical heritage, testifying to 15 centuries of Marian devotion and Toulouse architecture.

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