Brive-la-Gaillarde - Collégiale Saint-Martin

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour.

For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835.

Excavations, undertaken in the 1980s, proved, that Gregory of Tour´s description was pretty precise. The foundations of two merovingian churches were found under the church of today. They can be seen in the "crypte archéologiques".