Église Saint-Martin de Laon, Gothic church in Laon, France

Saint-Martin de Laon is a Gothic church with a Latin-cross plan and a three-aisled nave of nine bays. Its west facade, built around 1270, has three slightly recessed portals; the side lunettes show the martyrdoms of Saint Lawrence and Saint John the Baptist. Inside, 68 Baroque wooden choir stalls made in 1754 by Jean Joseph Berthélemy and Simon Pfaffinger line the last two bays.

Norbert of Xanten's Premonstratensian order established a community at Laon in 1124, and the church was built from the second half of the 12th century, with the choir raised around 1160. Around 1190 the original timber roof was replaced by vaults buttressed by flying buttresses, and twin towers were added by the end of the 13th century, their spires removed in 1605. The abbey was rebuilt from 1736 to 1788, and after the Revolution the church became parochial while the abbey served as a hospital.

The church keeps the name of Saint Martin of Tours, to whom it was dedicated. In the south aisle chapel stands a 1540 Renaissance marble screen with a bust of the blessing Christ and busts of the Apostles along the architrave. The choir stalls, 68 in number, were carved in Baroque style in 1754 by Jean Joseph Berthélemy and Simon Pfaffinger.

The church is entered through the west front, whose three portals open onto the nave; the choir stalls and the 1754 wooden panelling close the last two bays, so the axis is best read from the entrance. The south collateral chapel of Saint Eligius is reached through a 1540 marble screen. The organ tribune above the west door is out of service.

World War II bombing destroyed surrounding buildings and unexpectedly revealed hidden medieval structures that had been connected to the original church complex. This accidental discovery gave historians important clues about how the site was originally arranged and used.