Joseph-Alexander Martigny

Who was Joseph-Alexander Martigny?

Joseph-Alexander Martigny was a French archaeologist and Canon of Belley.

He studied at the petit séminaire of Belley and became a professor there in 1832. He was curate later at Cressy and afterwards a parish priest of Arbignieu.

Encouraged by his bishop and Abbé Greppo, who promoted a revival of religious archaeology in France, he devoted his leisure hours to the pursuit of that science. He was appointed curé of Bâgé-le-Châtel and made an honorary canon in 1849. From that time dates his acquaintance with J. B. de Rossi, to whom he became closely attached by reason of his work in the domain of Christian archaeology.