Église Saint-Martin-ès-Vignes de Troyes, 16th-century Catholic church in Troyes, France.
Église Saint-Martin-ès-Vignes de Troyes is a stone church with a pale limestone lower section and a dark timber-framed upper story, its rectangular body under a steeply pitched dark roof. A tower with a slender domed cupola rises at the left end, and a lower square stone tower with a flat top stands to the right. The central facade has a large pointed-arch traceried window above smaller windows, and the plan is rectangular with a three-sided chevet, a single-bay transept and a four-bay nave on cylindrical pillars.
The church was demolished in 1590 on the order of the Count of Saint-Pol, commander of the Catholic League in Troyes, so it could not shelter besieged troops or supply stone; its masonry went into the fort of Chevreuse. A new church was then built on land belonging to Luc Lorey about two kilometres from the city. The portal dates from 1681, designed by canon Louis Maillet, and the bell tower from 1747 under curé Doublet.
The church is dedicated secondarily to Saint Jule, a martyr of Troyes, and holds a relic of her; a series of stained-glass windows recounts her life. The priest of the former parish bore the title of priest-cardinal. A sundial inscribed "Bazin fecit 1778" stands under the porch left of the entrance door.
The building is typically open only during Sunday services, so plan your visit around those times. It is wise to check ahead about special events or holidays that might affect access.
The central organ case was built in 1534 by Damien Doublet; a second case was added behind it in 1878, and Henri Kuhnowski made the woodwork in 1963. The 5 m high, 2.80 m wide door drum by sculptor François Joseph Valtat is easy to miss.
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