Saint Martin Basilica in Tours
One of the must-see visits during your stay in Tours!
The Best Western Plus L'Artist Hotel invites you to discover the Saint-Martin Basilica, an exceptional architectural heritage. This magnificent religious building is located less than 2km from our hotel in Tours.
Located in the city centre, in the Halles district, the Basilique Saint-Martin offers a lot of charm. It replaces the old 11th century basilica of which only the two towers remain nearby.
Built from 1886 to 1902 on the plans of the architect Victor Laloux from Tours, the Saint-Martin Basilica of Tours has a Romano-Byzantine style and is oriented North-South.
Saint Martin (316-397) was a Roman officer in Gaul. He was very generous and became famous for having given half of his coat, the chlamyde, to a poor man who was shivering with cold. He became a monk and then bishop of Tours. The basilica was built to house his tomb and his chlamydia.
A splendid architecture
Let yourself be surprised by the grandeur of this monument, the size of its interior, its charged decoration and its polished marble columns. Different panels are located inside, giving information about the old building, with engravings and reconstructions. Its impressive 50-metre dome alone weighs 15 tons, with a bronze statue of the Saint blessing his city.
Accessible via two wide staircases, the crypt houses the ancient tomb of Saint Martin. It is a place of pilgrimage and arrival of the roads of Saint Martin, one of which is from Ligugé south of Poitiers.
Address:
Saint-Martin's Basilica
Rue Descartes
37000 Tours
Schedules:
- From 7:30 am to 7:00 pm in winter
- From 7:30 am to 9:00 pm in summer
Find more information on www.basiliquesaintmartin.fr
