Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Colmars, located south of the village and backed by the ramparts, was rebuilt after the fire of 1672 which destroyed the former building of the sixteenth century. On an elongated plane, it consists of a nave of four arched bays, a pentagonal bedside with radiant vaults, and a south side covered with arched vaults. Its covering materials vary: tiles in scale for the nave, tiles varnished for the bell tower, and shingles of larch for the sacristy, arranged in a defensive tower of the ramparts. The square bell tower, nestled in a bastion, dominates the choir.

The first church, dedicated to Saint John, was commissioned in 1300 by Bérard de Chamberony, notary of Colmars, and rebuilt in 1530 by Mathieu d'Anvers after destruction in the 15th century. The fire of 1672 ravaged the building again, leading to its reconstruction between 1681 and 1683 under the direction of Pierre Routhier, master mason of Castellane, assisted by Pierre Agneau and Honoré Barbaroux. The town coat of arms, engraved on a pillar, dates from 1683. The term changed in the 18th century to become Saint Martin, while the bell tower, spared by fire, was enhanced in the 17th and 19th centuries.

Designed as a fortified element, the church integrates into the defensive system of Colmars, reinforced by engineer Niquet in the 1680s–90s. His plan appeared on the maps of that time, highlighting his dual religious and military role. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1994, it also includes the Chapel of the Penitents, next to its flank. The sacristy, installed in a tower of the ramparts, illustrates this fusion between sacred and defense, characteristic of the border villages of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

External links