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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Martin d'Orx, located in the commune of Orx (Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is a religious building whose origins probably date back to the twelfth century. Elongated plan, it consists of a main nave and a northern collateral, with a semicircular bedside characteristic of Romanesque architecture. The square bell tower, later added, dates from the early 18th century and overlooks an entrance porch with a stand. The limestone stone walls and roofs covered with hollow tiles reflect local construction techniques.

The nave is separated from the lower side by four arcades resting on columns with capitals carved of characters, dating from the 15th century. These Gothic elements contrast with the Romanesque choir, adorned with three blind archatures supported by committed columns. A 16th century red ochre fresco decorates the subface of the triumphal arch, while traces of murals were discovered on its intrados. These artistic details testify to the stylistic evolutions of the building over the centuries.

Ranked a historical monument by decree of January 31, 1972, the church of Saint-Martin illustrates the superposition of the epochs: a capital of the choir dates back to the Romanesque period (XII century), while the two capitals of the nave and the structural changes date back to the 15th century. The bell tower, rebuilt in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, completes this historical stratification. The building, owned by the municipality, remains a major architectural and religious testimony of the Dutch heritage.

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