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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Poix-Terron, located in the Ardennes, is a mostly late Romanesque building, marked by sober and massive architecture. Its western facade, devoid of ornamentation, and its gate with bare tufts contrast with the capitals carved of flat foliage. The building, composed of a nave, low side and a 16th century vaulted transept, culminates with a primitive Gothic tower on the south arm. Its height positioning, accessible by a double staircase, reinforces its imposing character.

The parish of Poix was mentioned in 1237, but the church was best known for a tragic episode of the Wars of Religion. On 24 October 1590, Louis de Gonzague, Duke of Rethel, massacred 600 Catholic leaguers, probably for political reasons linked to the rivalry with the house of Guise. A commemorative plaque recalls this event. The church, already besieged in 1651, was listed as historical monuments in 1926. Its stained glass windows, restored in 2008, now include a representation of Saint Martin.

The building once housed a black marble funerary slab dedicated to Louise de Villelongue (1759), wife of Charles Antoine de Pouilly, seigneur of Poix. This slab, decorated with coats of arms from 20 noble Ardennes families (Pouilly, Lamet, Villelongue, etc.), was moved to the church of Thrugny. Bauny's foal (1780) revealed a parish under the influence of many lords and decimators, including the Abbé de Mouzon and the Reims seminary, illustrating its religious and social importance.

Architecturally, the church combines Romanesque (nef, portal) and Gothic elements (transe, massive tower). Its flat bedside and round columns supporting a wooden ceiling testify to stylistic transitions. The restoration of stained glass windows in 2008, including a creation dedicated to Saint Martin, highlights the contemporary vitality of this heritage, classified since 1926 and property of the municipality.

The site, located on the Grande Rue de Poix-Terron, overlooks the village and marks the exit to Yvernaumont. Its history reflects the religious and political tensions of the 16th-17th centuries in Champagne-Ardenne, while embodying the permanence of local worship, as evidenced by the numerous references to lords and ecclesiastical institutions in the 18th century archives.

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