Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Longny-au-Perche, located in the Orne department in Normandy, is a Catholic building dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It was rebuilt in the 16th century on the site of an ancient castral chapel, with a flamboyant tower decorated with statues and a sundial. Its interior houses a monumental high altar and side retables from the Chartreuse de Val Dieu, as well as murals discovered in the choir, dating about 1806.

The tower, classified as Historic Monument in 1909, is the most remarkable architectural element, with its niches housing allegorical statues (Force, Faith, Justice, Hope) and a partial funeral liter on the north wall. The church, with the exception of the tower, was registered in 1995. The richly decorated ogival bays and the polygonal turret staircase reflect the late Gothic influence. The transformations of the 19th century and recent discoveries, such as post-revolutionary painted panelling, bear witness to its evolution.

The building, originally linked to a priory dependent on Longny Abbey, illustrates the religious and seigneurial importance of the region. The painted emblems of the choir, commissioned in 1806, are among the rare examples of post-revolutionary ornamentation in the Orne. The presence of an equestrian statue of Saint Martin, symbol of charity, and a meridian underscores its role both spiritual and practical in the local community.

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