Martin was born in Sabaria (Pannonia), the son of a Roman tribune. At fifteen he joined the army, and it was during this time that the famous scene took place when he cut his military cloak in half to give one part to a poor man. He was baptized at eighteen, and soon after left military service to become a disciple of Saint Hilary of Poitiers. After a visit to his homeland, he began living as a hermit on the island of Gallinaria, near Genoa. Later, he founded Ligugé, considered the first monastery in the West.
By popular acclaim, Martin was chosen as bishop of Tours. As bishop, he founded the Maius Monasterium (Marmoutier), which became a great center of religious life and training, from which many future bishops came. He preached throughout central France and dealt with political leaders, especially to seek peace in the conflicts surrounding the Priscillianist heresy—a stance that earned him some enemies.
He died on November 8, 397, in Candes, while on a pastoral visit. A direct witness recounts that his funeral, held on the 11th, drew a huge crowd of the faithful, especially monks and virgins. Martin is one of the very first saints who was not a martyr to be venerated in the liturgy—perhaps the very first. The Frankish kings treasured as a relic the cloak believed to be Saint Martin’s; its guardian was called the “chaplain,” and the word “chapel” itself comes from the place where that cloak was kept.
