Église Saint-Sernin de Brive-la-Gaillarde, Catholic church in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France

Église Saint-Sernin is a Neo-Romanesque church of light tan stone at the foot of Avenue Jean-Jaurès. A tall octagonal tower on the left carries a shingled conical spire and a cross, with narrow arched openings and a band of small arches below the spire. To the right, the nave ends in a gabled section with a small open bell-cote, and a rounded, multi-sided apse with tall arched windows closes the far end. Inside, the nave rises into a barrel vault of small light stones laid in a spiral, carried on thick arches and plain pillars, with side aisles behind.

A church dedicated to Saint Sernin, the earliest recorded bishop of Toulouse, was mentioned in a text as early as 1231, and the parish occupied different sites in Brive-la-Gaillarde between the 13th and 20th centuries. The present building was erected in 1885–1889 by the municipal architect Louis Bonnay and opened on 10 June 1890. It stood without a bell tower until 1904, when the tower was added.

The church is dedicated to Saint Sernin, the first recorded bishop of Toulouse, and its name recalls that dedication. The building opened on 10 June 1890, and the neo-Romanesque interior is where this dedication is celebrated today.

The church stands at the lower end of Avenue Jean-Jaurès, in the centre of Brive-la-Gaillarde, within walking distance of the town's main streets. The entrance is at street level, and the nave, side aisles and apse are all on one floor, so the interior can be visited without steps. The bell tower, added in 1904, is the landmark to look for when approaching from the avenue.

The church is dedicated to Saint Sernin, the first recorded bishop of Toulouse, a dedication that predates the present building: a text of 1231 already mentions a church here. The 1885–1889 structure by Louis Bonnay stood without a bell tower until 1904.