ST. MARTIN'S COLLEGE

In the heart of the town, this collegiate church is an important monument in Brive, not only because of its history, but also because of the space for socialising that unfolds around it. Benches and forecourt allow a pleasant break in the urban wandering. Dedicated to Saint Martin "the Spanish", who came in the^5th century to Christianize the city and beheaded by the population, the primitive sanctuary was built on his tomb during the Merovingian period. The remains of the numerous reconstructions spread out until the 12th century are visible in the crypt. It was from the 12th century that the collegiate church was built in stages until the end of the 13th century. Part of the chevet, the dome and the transept date from this period. The nave, rebuilt around 1310, has a Gothic vault that rises above the high cylindrical pillars. The porch on the west façade and the Limousin neo-Romanesque bell tower date from the end of the 19th century. Note the Romanesque capitals, the 12th century sandstone baptismal font and the stained glass windows by the Parisian glass painter Eugène Oudinot.