Eglise Saint Martin

The Église Saint-Martin de Montmédy is the parish church of Saint-Martin, located in the upper town of Montmédy.

Montmédy is a small town in north-eastern France, in Lorraine, in the Meuse department, just a few steps from the Franco-Belgian border. It's in the upper town of Montmédy that the Saint-Martin parish church stands. This part of the town, perched on its rocky outcrop, is surrounded by a fortified wall. These fortifications are owed to Charles V, who in 1545 sought to turn the site into a stronghold against the Kingdom of France. Besieged, the town eventually surrendered to the French in 1657. Vauban then carried out defensive improvements in the second half of the 17th century, making the fortified wall one of the most significant in the north-east. It follows that the architecture within the fortifications is largely military in character.

From atop its rock, the Église Saint-Martin and its two square towers can be seen for miles around. Crossing the bridge that leads into the upper town, you come almost face to face with the building. Its imposing architecture dominates the place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. As its name suggests, the town hall and the sub-prefecture once stood in this area in the 17th century, both destroyed during the bombardments of 5 September 1870.

The current church was built between 1753 and 1756 on the site of a smaller building. Despite various restorations, the church has retained much of its original state. It is a listed heritage building.