Église Saint-Martin de Périgueux, Catholic church in Périgueux, France

The Église Saint-Martin de Périgueux is a Catholic church in the Saint-Martin district, built from 1870 to plans signed in 1860 by architect Alexandre Antoine Lambert. Its pale grey and beige stone facade has two square towers with arched openings and steep slate-grey pyramidal roofs topped by crosses. Between them, a gabled section holds a recessed arched portal with a rose window and a clock face above; three round-arched doorways open below, the central one closed by a red metal gate.

The present church is the fourth of that name in Périgueux. The project was signed on 4 August 1860 by architect Alexandre Antoine Lambert, approved by Paul Abadie; construction began in 1870, the first mass was held at Christmas 1874, and the building was only finished in 1899 with the installation of stained glass by Henri Feur. The previous church, ruined in the Wars of Religion, was sold in 1791 and later served as a shop, a posting house and, in 1926, a garage.

The white sign on the right tower announces the Journée du PARDON on a Friday, a local devotion still observed here. The parish was led from 1863 by abbé Polydore, who travelled to Belgium, Austria, Hungary and America to raise building funds and wrote three volumes about his journeys; he was buried in the church in 1898.

The church is easily accessible on foot from the city center and features a wide entrance with improved accessibility for visitors. The surrounding square offers seating areas and is a calm place to rest near the city's main streets.

The abbé Polydore, parish priest from 1863, travelled to Belgium, Austria, Hungary and America to collect funds for the new church, and wrote three volumes about his journeys whose proceeds paid for the construction. He was buried in the church in 1898.