The Stained Glass Windows of the Church of Saint-Martin in Murlin

The Charlois Group’s support for the development of the village of Murlin dates back many years. For example, the altar of the Church of Saint-Martin, carved from a centuries-old oak tree from the Bertranges Forest, was offered to the municipality in the late 1950s by Eugène Charlois, founder of the Charlois House (1928).

In an effort to perpetuate these philanthropic actions for the community, the Charlois Fund for Art and Forest contributed to the funding of the restoration project for the stained glass windows of the Church of Murlin. The restoration was carried out by the young stained glass artist, Timothée Barbeyrac, whose workshop is located in Donziais, in Colméry.

In order to honor the natural environment of Murlin and the main activities of the village (stave-making, cooperage, and agriculture), the iconography of the stained glass windows by Timothée Barbeyrac focuses on the oak tree, vines, cereals, and barrels. The central stained glass window of the choir depicts the Oak of Mamre, where, according to the Book of Genesis, God appeared to Abraham.

The stained glass windows of the Church of Saint-Martin, whose apse is from the Romanesque period, have now regained their splendor and bathe the interior of this building, which was renovated in the 19^thcentury.