Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente)
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente), located in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), 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
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.7887, 4.8306
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081443
In the heart of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, the church of Saint-Martin blends medieval Gothic sobriety with 19th-century neoclassical grandeur, creating a double edifice with exceptional historical and artistic resonance.
History
The church of Saint-Martin in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is one of those discreet monuments with an unsuspected depth. Set in the heart of the old town, it is made up of two distinct and complementary parts: a medieval core inherited from the 14th century, with its compact volumes and the golden stone typical of limestone Provence, and a neoclassical church built in the first quarter of the 19th century, whose pilastered façade and triangular pediment bear witness to the post-Revolutionary taste for ancient order. This architectural dialogue between two eras separated by more than five centuries makes Saint-Martin a living document of the region's religious and urban history. Where other towns have razed the old to build the new, Saint-Rémy has opted for continuity, allowing ogival archaism and classical rigour to coexist in the same building, which has been protected as a Historic Monument since 1984. The interior has a number of surprises in store for the attentive visitor: the side chapels in the older part still retain traces of medieval polychrome decoration, while the main nave, high and bright, offers remarkable acoustics, which explains why the gallery organ is so popular at summer concerts. The light from the south, filtered through the semi-circular windows, bathes the columns and arches in a southern glow. Situated just a stone's throw from Place de la République and the bustling centre of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, the monument is part of a dense urban fabric featuring 17th-century town houses, fountains and century-old plane trees. The visit is a natural part of a stroll through the old town, between the Antiques of Glanum and the shady lanes so dear to Frédéric Mistral.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Martin has a dual appearance that is immediately visible from the street: to the east, the squat massing and prominent buttresses of the 14th-century Gothic section; to the west, the ordered 19th-century façade, punctuated by pilasters with Ionic capitals framing a central portal with a round arch. The triangular pediment at the top of the façade is explicitly based on the vocabulary of ancient architecture, a discreet echo of the nearby Gallo-Roman remains at Glanum. The bell tower, built above ground level to the north, has a squat profile with several storeys pierced by geminated bays, typical of Provencal bell towers. Alpilles limestone, known as "Saint-Rémy stone", was used almost exclusively during the two construction campaigns. Its golden to pale blond hue gives the whole structure a beautiful chromatic homogeneity despite the marked stylistic differences. Inside, the neoclassical nave, covered by a stuccoed barrel vault, contrasts with the darker rib vaults of the older part, whose sculpted keystones bear heraldic emblems. The side chapels in the medieval wing still have niches with finely moulded ogival arches, testifying to the care taken with the interior decoration in the 14th century. The liturgical furnishings include pieces from several centuries: Baroque panelling from the 17th century, polychrome marble altars from the 18th century, and a gallery organ restored in the 20th century.
Related Figures
Saint Martin de Tours — évangélisateur du IVe siècle dont le culte donna son nom à l'édificeCharles Ier d'Anjou — comte de Provence sous lequel le bourg de Saint-Rémy connut le développement permettant la construction médiévaleFrédéric Mistral — poète provençal né à Maillane, paroissien emblématique de la région, attaché aux traditions religieuses de Saint-RémyNostradamus — natif de Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (1503), dont la famille fréquentait les lieux de culte de la villeVincent van Gogh — séjourna à Saint-Rémy en 1889-1890 à l'asile Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, traversa la ville et ses monuments
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) located?
Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) is located in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) built?
Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Martin (partie ancienne et partie récente) is currently closed to visitors.