Saint Martin of Tours was born around 316 in Pannonia (in the Roman Empire) and began his adult life as a soldier in the Roman army. While still a catechumen ⓘ, he encountered a beggar at the gates of Amiens and famously cut his military cloak in half to clothe him. According to tradition, Christ later appeared to Martin in a dream wearing the shared cloak, confirming his calling to the Christian faith.

Martin was baptised shortly thereafter and eventually left the army to pursue a life of asceticism. He became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers and later established one of the earliest monastic communities in Gaul, at Ligugé. Despite his reluctance, Martin was elected bishop of Tours in 371, where he combined episcopal duties with a monastic way of life.

As bishop, Martin was noted for his missionary activity in rural Gaul, opposing lingering pagan practices and promoting Christian worship. Unlike many earlier saints, he was not a martyr, but his reputation for holiness, humility, and charity led to widespread veneration after his death in 397.

Saint Martin’s ⓘ cult spread rapidly throughout medieval Europe, and he became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. In Christian art he is most commonly depicted on horseback, dividing his cloak with a beggar, or as a bishop holding a crozier, sometimes accompanied by a goose, an emblem drawn from later legend. His life and cult played a central role in shaping Western ideals of Christian kingship, charity, and pastoral care.