Eglise Saint Martin de Tournes
Open on request from the town hall
Saint-Martin Church: historical and architectural synthesis
The round tower at the base of the bell tower could be a vestige of an old castle, reused during the reconstruction of the church. It is the oldest element of the building. The nave and the choir probably date from the end of the 15th century, according to the bays of the choir. The vaults, completed in the 17th century, blocked certain bays, such as that of the south aisle, and have hanging keystones decorated with coats of arms of the Argy family. In the same century, gun ports and machicolations were added, accompanied by the raising of the tower. The north portal, dated 1567, leads to a small building. The large bays of the nave date from the 19th century. A major restoration took place between 1924 and 1931.
The church, located in the centre of the village, follows an elongated plan. It comprises a nave with three naves and three bays, a projecting transept and a choir with a straight bay ending in a polygonal apse. The bell tower has a round base and a square top. An imposing sacristy rests on the south arm of the transept. The interior is vaulted with ribbed vaults with sculpted hanging keystones. The walls, made of limestone rubble, are pierced with bays from different periods and numerous defensive openings. The floor is made of black marble or black and grey checkerboard, and the roof, made of slate, has varied sections depending on the volumes.
The round tower at the base of the bell tower could be a vestige of an old castle, reused during the reconstruction of the church. It is the oldest element of the building. The nave and the choir probably date from the end of the 15th century, according to the bays of the choir. The vaults, completed in the 17th century, blocked certain bays, such as that of the south aisle, and have hanging keystones decorated with coats of arms of the Argy family. In the same century, gun ports and machicolations were added, accompanied by the raising of the tower. The north portal, dated 1567, leads to a small building. The large bays of the nave date from the 19th century. A major restoration took place between 1924 and 1931.
The church, located in the centre of the village, follows an elongated plan. It comprises a nave with three naves and three bays, a projecting transept and a choir with a straight bay ending in a polygonal apse. The bell tower has a round base and a square top. An imposing sacristy rests on the south arm of the transept. The interior is vaulted with ribbed vaults with sculpted hanging keystones. The walls, made of limestone rubble, are pierced with bays from different periods and numerous defensive openings. The floor is made of black marble or black and grey checkerboard, and the roof, made of slate, has varied sections depending on the volumes.
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