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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Valaurie, located in the Drôme, is a Romanesque building of the 12th and 15th centuries, marked by a turbulent history. Its foundations may date back to the fifth century, but its current structure dates mainly from the twelfth century. Originally parish church and place of worship of a nearby priory, it was built outside the walls of the village, a special feature for the time. Its Provencal Romanesque architecture, with a nave of three spans and an outdoor pentagonal bedside, makes it a rare example in the Tricastin region. The bell tower, advanced in facade and surmounted by a stone arrow, was added or redesigned at the end of the 15th or early 16th century.

The church suffered numerous damage over the centuries, especially during the Wars of Religion in the late sixteenth century, then in 1934 because of an earthquake, and during the Second World War, where its bell was cracked. Several restoration campaigns took place, as in 1673 for the vault of the nave, or in 1937 for the choir after the earthquake. The stained glass of René Margotton, representing the division of the mantle of Saint Martin, adorns the altar. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1926, it preserves traces of its medieval past, such as an inscription of 1305 commemorating the foundation of a hospital, or later added lateral chapels, including that of the Virgin in the 19th century.

Architecturally, the church is distinguished by its semicircular apse inside and pentagonal outside, rhythmic by Corinthian pilasters and curved modillons. The nave, vaulted in the middle of the hanger, is illuminated by double-brasing windows. The bell tower, with its pyramidal stone roof, dominates the whole and houses a bell chamber pierced with bays in the middle of the hanger. The materials used, such as the small bedside apparatus and limestone bellows for the rest, reflect local techniques. Despite the successive repairs, some of which were financed by the Fondation du Patrimoine, fir trees, installed in 1958, still bear witness to its structural fragility.

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