Saint-Martin church

Saint-Martin church is the second of its kind to be built in Pau. The first Saint-Martin church was built in the 15th century opposite the Pau castle, on what is now Deportation Square. It remained the town’s only parish until 1803. It was even converted into a Protestant church between 1563 and 1620. By 1863, the church had become too small to accommodate the growing population and it was demolished and a new one built a little further from it. The only remaining vestige of this first building is its bell tower, which today serves as the Parliament Tower. The new Saint-Martin church was designed by architect Emile Boswilwald, who succeeded Prosper Mérimée as General Inspector of Historic Monuments, and worked with Viollet-le-Duc. The result is a beautiful neo-Gothic church, decorated with Byzantine-style paintings inside. Don’t hesitate to visit the church to admire all of it up close. You’ll also find a Werner organ and carillon, as well as a magnificent marble high altar. Saint-Martin church was listed as a historic monument in 2015.