The Basilica of Saint-Sernin

One day in to the trip and we've already seen a multitude of wonderful sights (and tasted some phenomenal food)! One of the first places we got to visit was the Basilica of Saint Sernin, a Romanesque basilica that has its roots as a modest church back in the 4th century which was then rebuilt atop the original in the 11th century. Inside there were a plethora of different art pieces and relics (Body parts or clothing of saints), all contained within various chapels along the perimeter of the inside building. There were also several busts of saints, including ones of the more recent additions: Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Mother Teresa.
Probably the most interesting piece for me however was the statue of the Pilgrim, as this church also has deep ties to the pilgrimage of the Camino. The basilica itself has a reputation as a sanctuary church, a location that would offer aid and shelter to pilgrims in history that were making their way towards Santiago just like we are. If you look at the picture attached of said statue, you'll notice several symbols adorning the piece. First, there's the scallop shells laid into the hat. Scallops are used as a symbol of pilgrims as most of these journeys ended at the ocean, where the pilgrims would then pick up a shell to symbolize the end of their pilgrimage (you may notice these shells and symbols in some of our other pictures).
Another symbol on the hat behind the man's head is the Greek symbol Chi Rho, which looks like an X with a P in the middle of it. This is a holy symbol representing the first two letters of Christ in Greek, and is frequently found within churches as a symbol of spirituality and faith. Finally, the final symbolic image found on this statue would be the dog near the man's wounded knee. As mentioned above, St. Sernin Basilica was a sanctuary church along the pilgrimage, and the dog in classical symbolism represents fidelity. In the dogs mouth seems to be a sponge or a rag, something to help the man clean his wounds and help him get back on his journey, possibly a representation of the church being a constant helping companion to the pilgrims along the way.
Can't wait to post about the next great thing we discover, stay tuned for more!