According to tradition, the first church was built in 779 thanks to the benevolence of Princess Berthe, daughter of Emperor Charlemagne. Shortly after, it was devastated during a Norman raid in 881.
The church, which became a collegiate church after the arrival of the canons from Celles in 1338, is an integral part of the city's defense system. It rests on the surrounding wall and its large square tower is fortified. It did not survive the sack of the city by the Burgundians of Charles the Bold in 1467.
Rebuilt in several phases, the church was destroyed again on August 10, 1914, burned by the Germans. Only the Gothic choir, dating from 1524, classified as a historical monument in 1935, remains and the stained glass windows of the apse remain miraculously spared. It was rebuilt in 1924 according to plans by the architects Edmond Jamar and Léon Habran. The chapel containing the relics of Saint Hadelin, not to be confused with the patron saint of the parish, Saint Martin, also dates from this period.
Translated by Google •
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