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Origin and history

The church Saint-Martin de Courtisols, located in the Marne department in the Grand Est region, finds its origins in a building mentioned as early as the 9th century in the polyptych of the Abbey Saint-Remi de Reims. This former building has now disappeared, leaving room for the present church, whose carpented Romanesque nave, dated from the first half of the 12th century, keeps windows in full hanger. The building was thoroughly renovated in the 15th and 16th centuries, incorporating flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance elements.

The transept, originally from the 12th century, was rebuilt in 1520 by Guichard Antoine, as evidenced by an engraved inscription. It supports a square Romanesque tower with geminied openings. The choir, completed around 1200, features a Gothic polygonal apse flanked by two rectangular chapels. The non-contemporary collaterals illustrate this stylistic diversity: that of the south adopts the flamboyant Gothic style, while the North Collateral, Renaissance style (1555), was erected by Chalonese artisans, including master masons Pierre Bernard and Arthur Clavier.

The capitals of the 16th century, richly carved, represent various motifs: chimeras, angels, sirens, or even human scenes (a tied couple, a woman carrying a man on her shoulders). These details, combined with the three portals on the façade — distinct periods — highlight the architectural evolution of the building. Ranked as historical monuments since 1939, the church thus embodies almost five centuries of local religious and artistic history.

The building, owned by the commune of Courtisols, also preserves traces of its craftsmen, such as stone tailors Jean Laurent, Nicolas Legendre, and Jean Rossy, from Châlons, or Pierre Laurent dit Gobillart, from Épine. Their documented contribution attests to regional collaboration in the construction of the Renaissance parts. The dedication to Saint Martin de Tours, the emblematic bishop of the fourth century, strengthens his anchor in the Christian tradition of Champagne.

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