Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin, located in Candes-Saint-Martin (Indre-et-Loire), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Candes-Saint-Martin, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.2112, 0.0738
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00097608
Watching over the confluence of the Vienne and Loire rivers since the 13th century, the collegiate church of Saint-Martin de Candes is the place where Saint Martin of Tours died in 397 - an Anjou Gothic masterpiece with soaring vaulted ceilings.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Perched on a rocky promontory overlooking the confluence of the Vienne and Loire rivers, the collegiate church of Saint-Martin de Candes-Saint-Martin is one of those monuments you wouldn't expect to find in such a small village. Its ambitious proportions, exceptionally coherent Angevin Gothic architecture and intimate connection with one of the most revered figures in Western Christendom make it both a place of pilgrimage and a monument of the first rank. What makes this building truly unique is first and foremost its geographical location: built at the exact junction of two great rivers, its forecourt offers a breathtaking view of the mingled waters of the Vienne and the Loire, the softly lit valley that inspired so many painters. The silhouette of the church, flanked by its powerful buttresses, seems to emerge from the cliff like a natural outgrowth of the Touraine limestone. Inside, the visitor is struck by the elevation of the pointed arches and the mastery of the light filtered through the choir windows. The three naves of equal height, characteristic of the Anjou Gothic style known as the "Halles plan", create an impression of spaciousness and unity that is rare for a rural church. The sculpted capitals, ornate keystones and masonry details bear witness to the care taken by highly skilled master builders. The visit, ideally undertaken in the late afternoon when the nave is bathed in golden light, is accompanied by a stroll around the forecourt and through the narrow streets of this village, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. Medieval history buffs, pilgrims on their way to Tours, photographers looking for reflections of the Loire: there's something for everyone.
Architecture
The collegiate church of Saint-Martin de Candes-Saint-Martin is a remarkable example of 13th-century Angevin Gothic architecture, characterised by a "hall church" layout with three naves of roughly equal height. This layout, inherited from the influence of the great cathedrals of Anjou such as Angers, gives the interior an unusual luminosity and spaciousness for a collegiate church of this size. The rounded, multi-ribbed vaults, typical of the Plantagenet Gothic style, are supported by slender fasciculated columns with hooked capitals finely carved from the local tufa stone. The exterior is dominated by powerful buttresses that support the lateral spandrels and give the building its robust, austere silhouette, contrasting with the finesse of the interior. The western portal is the sculpted showpiece of the ensemble: its voussoirs with figures, moulded archivolts and columns with historiated capitals bear witness to an experienced carving workshop, probably from the Touraine site. The white Touraine tufa stone, the region's preferred material, is used both for facing and as a replacement, giving the building that characteristic golden hue. The older choir reveals a particular elegance in the treatment of the tiers-point bays and the engaged colonnettes. Side chapels, added or altered during the 14th century, complete the spatial layout. The whole structure rests on a base partially carved out of the limestone of the cliff, thus integrating the building into the very geological substratum of the promontory that supports it.
Related Figures
Saint Martin de Tours (316/317-397) — évêque de Tours, mort à Candes le 8 novembre 397, dont la dépouille donna naissance au culte martinienSulpice Sévère (363-425) — hagiographe et ami de saint Martin, auteur de la Vita Sancti Martini qui relate sa mort à CandesGrégoire de Tours (538-594) — historien et évêque de Tours, qui dans ses Historiae Francorum rappelle l'importance du lieu de la mort de MartinHenri II Plantagenêt (1133-1189) — roi d'Angleterre et seigneur d'Anjou-Touraine, sous la domination duquel le chantier gothique fut très probablement impulséProsper Mérimée (1803-1870) — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, dont l'action permit le classement de l'édifice sur la première liste de 1840
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin located?
Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin is located in Candes-Saint-Martin, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin built?
Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin open to visitors?
Eglise collégiale Saint-Martin is currently closed to visitors.