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Origin and history

The Church of St.Martin of Limoux, mentioned as early as 1120 in a bubble of Pope Calixte II confirming the possessions of the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, was originally built in the 12th century on the banks of the Aude. In 1208, she was dependent on the monastery of Prouille after a long conflict with Saint-Hilaire. His story was marked by an aborted attempt to erect a cathedral in 1317 by John XXII, a decision cancelled in 1318 under pressure from Prouille, which probably stopped its completion. The city, destroyed in 1355 by the Black Prince, delayed its consecration until 1453.

The building, originally in Romanesque style (nef, porch, base of the bell tower), was redesigned in the 13th and 14th centuries with the addition of a walk-in, absidial chapels and a transept. The Gothic bell tower (16th century) was built on a pre-existing Romanesque square tower. The arrow, destroyed by lightning in 1775, was rebuilt in 1777. In the 19th century, major restorations concerned the arrow, the vaults of the nave and the bell towers. The church, a high symbol of Limoux, was inscribed in historical monuments in 1948, with the exception of restored parts.

The interior houses a remarkable organ, built between 1740 and 1743 by Pierre de Montbrun, then modified by Jean-François Picard L'Épine (1767-1772) and Théodore Puget (1871). Ranked in 1967, it was restored in 1994 by Pierre Vialle, regaining its original 18th century tone. Modern stained glass windows and a carved wooden canopy (18th century) complete this heritage. The facade, renovated in 1993 thanks to Operation Toques and Bells, illustrates the local attachment to this emblematic monument.

Architecturally, the church combines a Romanesque nave with three ships, a choir surrounded by five absidial chapels, and ten side chapels. The western portal, Romanesque vestige, presents carved columns with capitals (foliage, historiated scenes). The octagonal bell tower of the 16th century, pierced with broken arch windows, rests on a Romanesque square base. Two bell towers, rebuilt in 1894, crown the transept. The presbytery communicates directly with the sacristy via a vaulted passage.

The Church of Saint Martin embodies stylistic transformations and medieval religious conflicts. Its history reflects tensions between abbeys (Saint-Hilaire, Prouille), the influence of Dominicans, and political hazards (the Hundred Years War, destruction by the Black Prince). A symbol of resilience, it remains the highlight of Limoux, a witness of eight centuries of local and religious history.

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