Saint-Martin Basilica

The Saint-Martin basilica you’re looking at now was built from 1887 to 1902 by architect Victor Laloux, yes, the same one who worked on the city hall and the train station. He sure had a busy life! As I was saying, the original Romanesque Basilique Saint-Martin was destroyed during the Revolution. But when the relics of Saint Martin were discovered in the crypt in 1860, they were in a bit of a pickle for having destroyed everything. So, they had to rebuild something. At the time, there was a debate between reconstructing the old basilica exactly as it was or opting for something simpler. Eventually, they went with the latter, hence this little basilica in a Romanesque-Byzantine style. When it comes to ornaments and stained glass, everything revolves around Saint Martin. You can observe the key moments of the saint’s history and the life of the Church in Europe on its exquisite stained glass windows. If you’re interested in his tomb, it has been recreated, you’ll find it in the crypt. Should you choose not to go inside but still want to see what this famous Saint Martin looked like, just look up at the top of the dome. His statue is righ there blessing the city and all its inhabitants.