Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The collegiate Saint-Martin de Montpezat-de-Quercy, located in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, was built in 1337 under the impulse of Cardinal Pierre des Prés, vice-chancellor of the Roman Church and native of the city. The building, probably designed by an architect of the Papal Court of Avignon, was consecrated in 1343. Its architecture combines a unique nave flanked by chapels and a five-paned apse, vaulted by dogives, while the arch keys bear the coat of arms of its founder.

The college houses exceptional heritage features, including 15th century stalls and five Flemish tapestries from the early 16th century, offered by John IV, bishop of Montauban. These tapestries, still in place, illustrate episodes of Saint Martin's life. The choir also welcomes the laymen of Pierre des Prés and his nephew, Jean des Prés, bishop of Castres. The building, classified as early as 1840, is surrounded by wooden houses, former canon houses, registered in 1956.

The church, built of local limestone, has a rosaceous eight lobes above the gate and a square bell tower flanked by a polygonal turret. Inside, there is a 14th-century alabaster statue, 15th-century wooden boxes, and alabaster plates from a Nottingham altarpiece. Several side chapels are decorated with panelling and paintings from the early eighteenth century, made by artists from Moissac and Tours.

Antoine de Lettes, Marshal of France and Lord of Montpezat, was buried there after 1544. The collegiate, owned by the commune, bears witness to the religious and architectural importance of Montpezat-de-Quercy, linked to its medieval past and its role in the region. Recent research, such as that published in 2017 and 2024, continues to enrich the knowledge of this monument and its artistic treasure.

The houses surrounding the bedside, with their wooden communication galleries, recall the medieval canonical organization. These houses, whose facades and roofs are protected, complement the architectural complex. The college, always open to visit, remains a rare example of in situ preservation of liturgical and decorative elements of the era, such as tapestries or stalls.

External links