Ancienne église Saint-Martin-du-Jaur

English translation

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History

First mention in the 10th century in the charter of foundation of the abbey of Saint-Pons (936). The current church, from the 15th century, replaced a Romanesque church with three naves from the 11th or 12th century. In 1789, the parish was transferred to the cathedral and worship was suppressed at Saint-Martin. Since then, the church has been abandoned. The location of the current church, a few metres from the source of the Jaur, is a place of worship whose permanence was maintained from the Neolithic period until 1789. The current church, of fairly late Gothic style, appears to be the work of the 15th century on the site of a Romanesque building some parts of which were preserved (square mass in the north-west angle of the nave; western façade; southern door in the penultimate bay). The sanctuary by contrast is much more recent than the nave and should correspond to a rebuilding of the late 16th or 17th century, following the Wars of Religion. Behind the first diaphragm arch of the nave, to the east, appear the beginnings of the primitive ogives of the old choir. The building is a single nave with lateral chapels and polygonal chevet. The nave is divided into five bays by five round-arch diaphragm arches which rest by means of capitals on engaged half-columns on dosserets. On the rampants of the arches rest the purlins and rafters of the roof. The diaphragm arches are contained on the outside by thick buttresses with offsets. Between the latter are lodged the lateral chapels which open onto the nave by large pointed arches. These latter are covered with rib vaults. At the level of the fourth bay, to the south, is found the old entrance door of the church, in a pointed arch with rear voussure in round arch. The north-west angle of the nave is occupied by a masonry mass which seems to correspond to a primitive arrangement in relation with the earlier Romanesque church. The interior of this building body seems to correspond to the base of a primitive bell tower. The pentagonal chevet was formerly covered with ribs on ogives of which only the beginnings are still in place. This church represents for local history a building of prime importance since it was around this place of worship that the town of Thomières became established.