Sint-Martinuskerk - Sint-Martens-Latem

The church is picturesquely located in a walled cemetery east of the village square near the Leie.

The wrought iron 18th century entrance gate , from the castle of Deurle, donated in 1840 by Mrs. Hopsomere. The current whitewashed walls and fence pillars date from the reconstruction of 1965. The cemetery contains several remarkable graves of, among others, Albijn Van den Abeele (1835-1918), former mayor, writer and painter, and of sculptor Baron George Minne (1866-1941). ) with a statue of Mother and Child, and the grave of the Ziane-Raes family with a statue of sculptor Leon Sarteel.

Oldest mention in 1121, when the church was placed under the patronage of the Ghent St. Bavo's Abbey by the bishop of Tournai-Noyon. It was probably a small basilical church with an octagonal crossing tower and choir, built from Tournai limestone in irregular bond (opus incertum), of which clear traces have been preserved.

The church was damaged during the religious troubles of the 16th century and important renovations/enlargements and repairs from the second quarter of the 17th century.

Paintings: The Ascension of Mary by A. Van den Heuvel(?) (1644) above the main altar; Holy Mary receives the rosary from the hands of Saint Dominic by G. van de Woestijne (1900) above the northern side altar; Saint Martin of Tours, by M. Schelck, 1966 above the south side altar.

Sculpture: Statue of Mary by Mathias Zens (1874); wooden bust of a bishop (Saint Martin?) from the seventeenth century (main altar).

Furniture: porch altars in polychromed marbled wood: main altar of Saint Martin from the monastery of Saint Barbara (Ghent), placed in the church in 1685; side altars (north of Our Lady and south of Saint Martin) in Louis XVI style from 1771. Pulpit from 1771 by J. Martens, with double staircase and image of the Holy Church at the bottom. Confessional designed by J. Martens from 1767 in Louis XVI style. Organ built by L. Lovaert from 1861, modified in 1925 and 1966.

Various grave slabs in the church from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Willem Vandenameele