Saint-Médard, Saint-Mard (Virton)

The church of Saint-Martin in Vieux-Virton can be considered the original parish of Saint-Mard. Indeed, the title Saint-Martin, its extra muros location and the chronology revealed during the excavations point to a very old church. The early church dates from the 8th century and was built of stone. In the 9th or 10th century, a second building was erected. Two carved blocks from the High Roman Empire, which can still be seen today, were used as a replacement. A third construction phase took place in the 10th-11th centuries. It was at this time that the nave was extended.

The Neo-Classical Church of Saint Laurent was opened to the public in 1834 and is the work of the contractor Jacques-Modeste Guillemard of Longwy. Its imposing portal of four colossal columns with Ionic capitals supports a triangular pediment decorated with a bas-relief. At the end of the 1950s, the interior of the church was redesigned by architect Alexis Bodson from Virton. Four stained glass windows by Louis-Marie Londot also date from this period.

The Church of Saint-Martin stands in the heart of the citadel of Montmedy. The first mention of the church of Saint-Martin appears in a charter drawn up in 1156, by which the abbey of Orval (Belgium) obtains its patronage.