Montmorency

Montmorency gave its name to one of the great noble families of France, whose lords held a medieval castle above the valley to the north of Paris. Their collegiate church of Saint-Martin served as a family burial chapel, and its stained glass recorded the lineage and piety of its noble patrons over generations.

Guillaume de Montmorency began rebuilding the church in 1515, constructing the choir and the first four bays before work stopped around 1530. His son Anne, constable of France, completed the nave between 1557 and 1563. The collegiate church became a memorial to the family as well as a place of worship, housing the constable’s imposing tomb. In 1687 the Oratorians added a new façade, leaving another mark on a building shaped over generations.