title: St. Martin's Church, Ahetze
text: # St. Martin's Church, Ahetze
  
  St. Martin's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Ahetze, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It was registered as an official Historical Monument on June 5, 1973.
  
  ## Description
  
  St. Martin Church is located at a crossing point of the Way of St. James. Its construction started in the 16th century. It contains an 18th-century wooden statue of St. James in pilgrim clothing, an 18th-century statue of the Assumption of Mary, an 18th-century altarpiece and a 15th-century processional cross. The arms of this cross are garnished with small bells. During a witch trial in 1609, this cross was considered as a diabolical object by Councillor Pierre de Lancre.
  
  The cemetery of the church features a disc-shaped stele [fr]. Another stele from Ahetze is exhibited at the Basque Museum, Bayonne [es; eu; fr].
  
  * The church
  * The bell tower seen from the village
  * The bell tower
  * The apse
  * The entrance of the church
  * The altar with Jesus Christ and two pilgrims
  * Detail of the altarpiece: the Annunciation
  * The Notre-Dame du Scapulaire, Mater purissima stained-glass window
  * A disc-shaped stele
  * The choir of the church
  