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Origin and history

Saint-Anastase Church of Saint-Martin-d'Oydes, built in the 19th century in a neo-Roman style, replaces an 11th century Romanesque building partially destroyed in 1574 during the Wars of Religion. Originally, this Romanesque church, dedicated to Saint Anastasis (a Venetian saint who died around 1085 on the spot), included a unique nave and a creneled bell tower. Degraded and considered too small for 900 inhabitants, its reconstruction was decided in 1878 under the direction of the diocesan architect Ferdinand de Coma. The works, completed in 1887, retained only the bases of the original bell tower and bedside, while adding two lateral naves and a stylized Romanesque decor.

In 1941, the Spanish painter Isaak Diez de Ibarrondo, a refugee with the resistant Pierre Dumas, decorated the side walls of two monumental frescoes depicting Saint Martin and Saint Anastase, patrons of the church. These works, now protected, are in addition to the 13 movable objects listed by the Palissy base. The building, surrounded by houses forming an elliptical fortified enclosure, was listed as historical monuments in 2015 for its architectural and defensive ensemble.

The present church, with its square bell tower flanked by scauguettes and its three-front façade, illustrates a 19th century interpretation of Romanesque art. Every first Sunday in May, a procession honours Saint Anastasis, perpetuating a cult linked to his local death and a miraculous source he would have discovered. The architects Coma, Marcilly and Galau claimed to have restored a "authentic Romanesque building", although their creation was more of a neo-Roman than a faithful restoration.

The village of Saint-Martin-d'Oydes, classified as a circulade (round village), bears witness to a medieval organization where the central church served as a defence point. The houses close around the religious building formed a protective enclosure, typical of border areas or exposed to conflict, such as Ariège during the Wars of Religion. This heritage reflects both the spiritual, defensive and community needs of Occitan rural populations.

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