Dark Spaces Along the Camino

Our first full day was spent in Toulouse, France. We saw several pitstops along the pilgrimage path known as the Camino de Santiago. One of our stops found at us Notre Dame du Taur, which according to legend is the exact spot where Saint Sernin became detached from the bull that was dragging him to his martyred death. We were only at this church for a brief time, but it was beautiful in it's own way, despite being so different from the elaborate cathedrals we saw earlier in the day.

One thing I found most interesting about this particular stop was the mention of the dark spaces and their use in the church. At the entrance of the Notre Dame du Taur is a set of doors on the exterior of the building, followed by an empty space, and another set of doors to enter the church itself. This creates a "dark space" before an individual enters the church. The purpose of this space is to separate one's daily life from the divine experiences they are about to partake in. The complete dark before entering the church cleanses the soul of the "normal" world in preparation for the divine. I think this is such an interesting architectural find!