-
- Search
The history of Colmars tells of the church of “St Jean hors les murs”, destroyed by fire in 1672, and rebuilt on the same site between 1681 and 1696 as part of the fortified enclosure, but under the name of St Martin’s Church.
Saint Martin’s church was conceived as a fortified element blocking a weak point in the line of the ramparts. The church is unadorned and rather austere, in the Provençal Gothic style (a blend of Romanesque and Gothic).
In fact, the portal of the previous building (Saint Jean hors les murs) has been replaced, bearing Latin inscriptions and the date 1530, as well as the name of Flemish architect Mathieu d’Anvers and the motto “AL OM BETTER” “que tout aille mieux”.
This has often misled visitors, especially as the church’s wide nave retains the Gothic cross-rib covering. The ribs are connected by a cruciform keystone. The polygonal choir is covered by a ribbed vault with 6 ribs falling on conical bases and a flat key dated 1696. The very low semi-circular arches are typical of 17th-century architecture. Transversal arcades over small pilasters open onto the single vaulted side aisle.
For a long time, the roof was covered with larch shingles, but has now been re-roofed with multi-colored glazed tiles (green, red, yellow), which also cover the bell tower.
Among the many paintings in the church are
* the 17th-century altarpiece of the Rosary
* the altarpiece of the Souls in Purgatory, dating from the 1740s, listed monument
* the restored Way of the Cross
*the village coat-of-arms on one of the pillars
Outside:
*the war memorial
*the former portal of Saint Jean church
A chapel (closed to the public) dedicated to the Virgin Mary “Notre Dame des Grâces” adjoins the church. This is the former chapel of the white penitents.
Take a look at its wrought-iron campanile, a traditional feature of Lower Provence.
In winter, the church is closed and mass is celebrated in the Saint Joseph chapel on the town hall square.
Animaux : Refused
Free access.