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Saint Martin of Tours Year

Saint Martin of Tours Year

Published on 14 January 2016 - Updated 22 January 2016
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 8 ans

Marking the 1,700th anniversary of his birth, Saint Martin of Tours Year has been going on since 10/11 November 2015. It will continue until 4 July 2017. The City of Tours and its partners are putting on a whole programme of events in this respect.

Online:

www.saintmartin-tours.fr

Saint Martin de Tours

An avid traveller throughout his lifetime, this European before his time was born in 316 in Pannonia, present-day Hungary, to pagan parents. Raised in Pavia, Italy, where his father was a soldier, he was enlisted in the Roman army at the age of 15. In 337, stationed in Amiens, France, he cut his cloak in half to share it with a freezing-cold beggar. He had a revelation of faith at this time, and converted to Christianity.

Appointed Bishop of Tours, he founded the monastery in Marmoutier, near Tours, as well as the first rural churches of Gaul, all the while travelling through part of Europe (Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Spain for example). Saint Martin died on 8 November 397 in Candes, and was buried on 11 November in Tours.