The Martyr

 

I visited 4 churches yesterday and a cloister.  I learned about Saint Saturnin.  Also known as St. Sernin,  this brave religious leader refused to sacrifice a bull to the Roman gods. In turn, Roman ruffians tied him to the bull, who dragged him through the streets of Toulouse, effectively martyrizing him. 

There's some question about whether or not the ruffians murdered him prior to the bull run.  I truly hope this is the case, but in the painting above, hanging in one of the churches I visited, we see an alert Saturnin and a bull eyeing him suspiciously.  You can read more about this sad time in Toulousian history here. This happened back in 250 AD, and things have changed quite a lot since then.

In my walks here, I'm happy to report that I've only encountered peaceful people, experiencing the pleasantries of this historic city.