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TheBasilica of Saint Martin is aCatholicbasilica dedicated to SaintMartin of Tours, over whose tomb it was built. It is located inTours, France.[1]
The first basilica was established here in the 5th century (consecrated in 471) on the site of an earlier chapel.[2] It was at first served by a community of monks under an abbot, the Abbot of Saint Martin, who between 796 and 804 wasAlcuin, the adviser ofCharlemagne. Shortly before this the monastic establishment was changed to acollegiate church manned by a community ofcanons, but the office and title of abbot persisted.[3]
The medieval basilica was completely demolished during theFrench Revolution. The present church was built between 1886 and 1924 by French architectVictor Laloux in aNeo-Byzantine style, on part of the site of the original basilica which was repurchased by the Church. It was dedicated on 4 July 1925.[2]
The Abbey which developed around the shrine of Saint Martin at Tours became one of the most prominent and influential establishments in medieval France.Charlemagne awarded the position of Abbot to his friend and adviser Alcuin. At this time the abbot could travel between Tours and the court atTrier in Germany and always stay overnight at one of his own properties. It was at Tours that Alcuin'sscriptorium (a room inmonasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monasticscribes) developedCarolingian minuscule, the clear round hand that made manuscripts far more legible.
In later times the abbey was destroyed by fire on several occasions and ransacked byNormanVikings in 853 and in 903. It burned again in 994, and was rebuilt by Hervé de Buzançais, treasurer of Saint Martin, an effort that took 20 years to complete. Expanded to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims and to attract them, the shrine of St. Martin of Tours became a major stopping-point onpilgrimages. Between 1354 and 1368,a new wall was constructed to encompass the basilica and the city of Tours. In 1453 the remains of Saint Martin were transferred to a magnificent new reliquary donated byCharles VII of France andAgnès Sorel.
During theFrench Wars of Religion, the basilica was sacked by the ProtestantHuguenots in 1562. It was disestablished during theFrench Revolution.[4] It was deconsecrated, used as a stable, then utterly demolished. Its dressed stones were sold in 1802 after two streets were built across the site, to ensure the abbey would not be reconstructed.
In 1860 excavations byLeo Dupont (1797–1876) established the dimensions of the former abbey and recovered some fragments of architecture. The tomb of Saint Martin was rediscovered on 14 December 1860, which aided in the 19th-century revival of the popular devotion to St. Martin.
After the radicalParis Commune of 1871, there was a resurgence of conservative Catholic piety, and the church decided to build a basilica to Saint Martin. They selectedVictor Laloux as architect. He eschewedGothic for a mix of Romanesque and Byzantine, sometimes defined as neo-Byzantine.[5] The newBasilique Saint-Martin was erected on a portion of its former site, which was purchased from the owners. Started in 1886, the church was consecrated on 4 July 1925.[6]
In the following list, all dates arefloruits:
When Hugh Capet became king in 987, the abbacy, which had long been inlay hands, was united to the royal office.
47°23′35″N0°40′58″E / 47.39306°N 0.68278°E /47.39306; 0.68278
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