St. Martin's Church, Ahetze

St. Martin's Church, Ahetze French: église Saint-Martin d'Ahetze Basque: San Martin eliza (Ahetze)
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Province	Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron
Rite	Roman
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Parish church
Status	Active
Location
Location	Ahetze, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
Geographic coordinates	43°24′21″N 1°34′17″W
Architecture
Type	church
Groundbreaking	16th century

St. Martin's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Ahetze, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It was registered as an official Historical Monument on June 5, 1973.

Description

St. Martin Church is located at a crossing point of the Way of St. James. Its construction started in the 16th century. It contains an 18th-century wooden statue of St. James in pilgrim clothing, an 18th-century statue of the Assumption of Mary, an 18th-century altarpiece and a 15th-century processional cross. The arms of this cross are garnished with small bells. During a witch trial in 1609, this cross was considered as a diabolical object by Councillor Pierre de Lancre.

The cemetery of the church features a disc-shaped stele. Another stele from Ahetze is exhibited at the Basque Museum, Bayonne.

• 
  The church
• 
  The bell tower seen from the village
• 
  The bell tower
• 
  The apse
• 
  The entrance of the church
• 
  The altar with Jesus Christ and two pilgrims
• 
  Detail of the altarpiece: the Annunciation
• 
  The Notre-Dame du Scapulaire, Mater purissima stained-glass window
• 
  A disc-shaped stele
• 
  The choir of the church

External links

• 64009 - Ahetze - Église Saint-Martin (in French), Clochers de France
• Observatoire du Patrimoine religieux (in French)