Les remparts

You can see the first ring around the town (a low brick wall) and, a little further up, the second, formed by the ramparts that formed the fortifications. These ramparts, along with the moat and keep, appeared in the Martins landscape in the early 13th century.

The village lies on the Roman road linking Toulouse to Dax (the route to Spain), a much-used route during the Middle Ages. The village was therefore very exposed to the many conflicts between the different peoples of southern France. These ramparts are made from Garonne pebbles and, like the wall in the garden of the Grand Presbytère, from blocks of stone and marble salvaged from the banks of the Garonne (the Gallo-Roman villa at Chiragan). They were originally 5 metres high.

On the Boulevard du Nord side, one of the residents, Etienne Dignat “the Patriarch”, dared to lower the ramparts without asking for permission in 1789. He felt that his home was enclosed by these high walls, with no clear view and almost no sunlight. He paid a fine for this, but in the end, everyone wanted to do the same and the local council of the time, understanding, gave them permission. The residents of the rue du Four were confined behind these high walls and wanted more air, an unobstructed view of their garden and outbuildings (on the outer bank of the boulevard) and easier access to the outside of the village, eliminating the presence of animals.