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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Saint Martin de La Brig is a Catholic church located in the Alpes-Maritimes, at the confluence of the rio Secco and Levenza rivers. Unlike the neighbouring medieval cities, the Brig has developed on a plain rather than on a high level, reflecting a social organization linked to logging and breeding. The city, quoted from the 11th century, does not retain any monuments prior to the 13th century, when its population settles in the valley.

The current collegiate building spans between 1484 and 1509, as attested by the lintel of the main gate dated 1 August 1501. It replaces an older church, with an epigraphed lintel of 1234 (reused in the north gate) testifying. Its architecture combines Gothic elements (dogives vaults, cruciform piles) and Renaissance (Marble door inspired by Turin Cathedral, 1498). The campanile, evoking Lombard bell towers, and the facade with yellow ochre bands also date from the late 15th century.

Interior combines Gothic (Nef), Renaissance (classical capitals) and Nice Baroque (choir, probably rebuilt in the 18th century). The collegiate house houses a remarkable set of primitive Nice retables, including six works attributed to Louis Bréa (1510–1530) and a triptych by Sébastien Fuseri (1507) commissioned by Petrino Lascaris, seigneur of La Brig. These paintings, combined with a classified Lingiardi organ (1849), illustrate the artistic influence of the region.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1949, the collegiate church reflects the turbulent history of La Brig, which became fief of the Lascaris of Tende in the 14th century. Its castle, built around 1376, and its church symbolize the passage from a free medieval community to a feudal seigneury. The interior decorations, restored at the end of the 19th century, preserve this unique heritage of the Alpes-Maritimes.

Among the notable elements are the 1578-dated l-oculus, the Renaissance portal to the antellots and ionic capitals, and a Virgin with the Child surrounded by panels of the Annunciation (circa 1510). A 17th century picture also offers the first detailed view of the city, highlighting its role as a crossroads on Alpine transit routes.

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