This elegant ecclesiastical structure is the mother church of the Dominican order, founded in 1215 by St Dominic, and completed 170 years later. It's a blend of Gothic showiness and architectural delicacy: inside, the Église des Jacobins light pours in through stained glass windows, while columns soar up to the fan-vaulted roof and the 45m-high belltower. It's worth wandering around the tranquil Cloître des Jacobins , a wonderful space for quiet contemplation.
St Thomas Aquinas (1225–74), the monk-philosopher and early head of the Dominican order, is buried beneath the altar.
