Toulouse, Notre Dame du Taur
photo by Dr. Simon Cotton BEM CChem FRSC
Our Lady of the Bull (Notre-Dame du Taur), O.L. of the Ramparts (Notre-Dame du Rempart), O.L. of Childbirth or Delivery (Notre-Dame de la Délivrance), O.L. of Good Help or Succor (N-D du Bon Secours)
In the church Notre-Dame du Taur, 12 Rue du Taur 31000 Toulouse, 16th century
You won’t find this statue in most lists of Black Madonnas, but the local tourist office acknowledges her as “A beautiful Black Madonna” (une belle vierge noire).
Legend, has it that in 250 AD, St. Saturnin (usually abbreviated to St. Sernin), the first bishop of Toulouse, was martyred by being dragged behind a wild bull. On the place where his body finally detached from the beast, the first shrine to him was built. Today’s church was erected on that spot in the 13th to 14th centuries and was originally called Saint-Sernin du Taur. It wasn’t until the 16th century that it was re-named Notre-Dame du Taur. What happened at that time?
The Wars of Religion had brought bitter conflict to much of France, including Toulouse. In early 1562, Huguenots seized part of northern Toulouse around the city gate Porte Villeneuve. When they withdrew on May 17th, 1562, the capitouls (city council) ordered the construction of an oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary above the gate. Hence her title “Our Lady of the Ramparts”. Black Madonnas in particular had a reputation for protecting cities from their enemies during battles. (See e.g. Halle, Belgium and Orleans, France in this index.) A cultus grew up around an image of the Virgin placed there until the chapel was demolished in 1783. Apparently, the 16th century statue survived though and was moved to this church, Notre-Dame du Taur. Formerly there was a procession from the church of Notre-Dame du Taur to the oratory each May 17th, culminating in a solemn Mass.
Dr. Simon Cotton, who pointed me to this Madonna, writes: “The coolest town street in provincial France must surely be the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence, but the rue du Taur in Toulouse is another with much to be said for it. It is book-ended by the Place du Capitole at one end and the basilica of St. Sernin (the finest Romanesque church in France) at the other. The church of ND du Taur was built characteristically of the local brick and has a striking 14th c. clocher-mur (belltower-wall). Step inside and you are in a cool, dark, aisleless building, the best sort of city church to pray in. Right ahead at the far end, above the altar, is the dark and vested 16th c. figure of Notre-Dame du Rempart.”
photo: courtesy of Lieux Sacrés
The fantastically researched French site “Lieux Sacrés” shows this photo of a bull sculpture in the oldest part of the church. He looks quite peaceful and reminds me of this article I wrote on Black Madonnas and bulls: “Sacred Bulls, Oxen, and Cows in Christianity”
The same website (Lieux Sacrés) also gives the additional titles of Our Lady of Good Childbirth and Succor. I thought she looks a whole lot like “La Daurade”, her more famous Black sister in Toulouse, who is know by the same title, O.L. of Good Delivery (as in childbirth). My guess is that when the Toulouse city council wanted a powerful Madonna to protect their ramparts, they brought in a copy of La Daurade, who was then named after the new job she was given: Our Lady (keeper of) the Ramparts, another aspect of the same Mother.
Sources:
Many thanks to Dr Simon Cotton BEM CChem FRSC, professor of chemistry and churchwarden, (i.e. a lay leader under an Episcopal priest) author of many books on chemistry and articles on religion. He sent me his article and photos that became the basis of this post.
https://lieuxsacres.canalblog.com/archives/2008/06/13/9555851.html