Ruins of the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Martin

The chapel of Saint-Martin is a Romanesque chapel in ruins situated in Saint-Victor-la-Coste, in the department of Gard, in the region of Occitanie. The chapel stands in the middle of the plain, near a source and a washhouse, northwest of the village of Saint-Victor-la-Coste, along the departmental road D145.

The chapel likely occupies the site of an ancient pagan temple built along a Roman road. Construction on the current chapel began around 1050 in a place where the regional market was held. After the market was transferred to Bagnols in 1223, the chapel was abandoned by markets and pilgrims and did not survive. The priory was mentioned under various names between 1220 and 1620 and was part of the viguerie of Bagnols and the diocese of Uzès.

Today, only the ruins of the chevet and the bell tower remain, meaning the overall plan is unknown. The chapel has been classified as a historic monument since October 23, 1980, and the ruins are now owned by the commune. The interior retains the remains of a beautiful apse with three absidioles housed within the thickness of the wall. Each absidiole features walls of rubble masonry topped with a cul-de-four vault made of ashlar stone resting on a moulded cornice.

The apse itself is also covered with a cul-de-four vault, partially collapsed, supported by a moulded cornice highlighted with a tooth-like frieze. On either side of the choir entrance, one can still distinguish the vestiges of the engaged colonnettes and the capitals that supported the triumphal arch, along with the remaining bases of columns.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons