The Basilica of Saint-Martin in Tours is the most recent church built over the tomb of Saint Martin, bishop of Tours, on a site that has been a major pilgrimage destination since the early Middle Ages. After the medieval basilicas that successively rose over the site, the current building was designed by architect Victor Laloux in a Neo-Byzantine style and constructed between 1886 and 1902. The building was formally elevated to the rank of basilica on 4 July 1925.
Constrained by the narrow parcel left by 19th-century urban redevelopment, Laloux oriented the basilica north–south, an uncommon configuration for a major church. The southern façade opens onto a broad parvis, completed in 1928, which introduces the sanctuary through a restrained Romano-Byzantine portal. On the pediment, the inscription quotes Paulinus of Périgueux: “La ville de Tours se réjouit à jamais d’avoir Martin pour patron.”
Basilique Saint Martin de Tours - entrance
The basilica rises directly above the historic tomb of Saint Martin, and the high altar marks this sacred point. Donated by Eugène Gouin, it is supported by four marble columns and porphyry colonnettes, and its tabernacle is adorned with mosaic decoration. The altar contains the most substantial surviving relic of Saint Martin: a fragment of his skull, giving rise to the traditional name “l’autel du chef.” Above it stands an ornate ciborium created by Aymard Verdier, inspired by a 13th-century design. Supported by four gilded wooden columns, the canopy carries a metal dome with enamels, ciselures, and small sculpted angels at the corners. At its center, a small shrine preserves additional relics of the saint.
Basilique Saint Martin de Tours - interior and high altar
The heart of Laloux’s interior composition is the domed crossing, where a pendentive dome admits light through 22 windows. The decoration combines palm motifs, ribbons, and Latin inscriptions. At the summit, Saint Martin is depicted enthroned, blessing with one hand and holding a cross in the other.
The stained-glass windows, produced in the Lobin workshop in the late 19th century, illustrate episodes from the life of Saint Martin.
dome and stained glass windows
dome and ceiling
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