The Martinikerk (Martin's church) is the oldest church in Groningen. The church and its associated tower (the Martinitoren) are named after Saint Martin of Tours (316–397), the patron saint of the Bishopric of Utrecht to which Groningen belonged. The church was a cathedral for a short period during the first bishopric of Groningen (1559–1594).
The origins of the Martinikerk are a cruciform church built in the 13th century, which was extended in the 15th and 16th centuries. It contains several 16th century tombs and Wessel Gansfort's 18th century tomb. Much of the wall and roof paintwork has been preserved. Of particular note is a 16th-century depiction of the life of Jesus Christ.
The tower was built from 1469 till 1482, with later additions. Citizens of Groningen often refer to the tower as d'Olle Grieze (Old Grey One). The original 13th century tower was destroyed by lightning and a new tower was built in the 15th century, also destroyed by lightning.
References:The historical centre of Briançon is a strongly fortified town, built by Vauban to defend the region from Austrians in the 17th century. Its streets are very steep and narrow, though picturesque. Briançon lies at the foot of the descent from the Col de Montgenèvre, giving access to Turin, so a great number of other fortifications have been constructed on the surrounding heights, especially towards the east.
The Savoyards made two raids into French territory in 1691 and 1692. As a result, Vauban was dispatched to inspect the frontier defences, which had been ill-equiped to deal with the attack from Savoy. He returned to the area in 1700 to check on the progress that had been made since his first visit. When Vauban visited Briançon, work on the defences had already started under a local engineer, Monsieur d"Angrogne in 1692.