Birthplace of Jean-Martin de Prades (1724-1782)

House built in the 18th century. The Sorbonne theologian, famous for his contribution to the Encyclopédie and his article "Certitude", was born here on July 23, 1724.
Jean-Martin de Prades (b. Castelsarrasin, July 23, 1724; d. Głogów, Silesia, 1782) was a Catholic theologian, priest and contributor to the French Encyclopédie. Destined for an ecclesiastical career, he studied in Paris at several seminaries and made friends with Encyclopedists such as Diderot, notably contributing the article Certitude.

In 1751, he defended a thesis combining philosophy and theology at the Sorbonne, which caused a scandal: several of his propositions (on the origins of ideas, society, natural law and even miracles) were deemed contrary to doctrine and condemned by the Faculty, Parliament and Pope Benedict XIV. Fearing sanctions, he fled, first to Holland, then to Berlin under the protection of King Frederick II of Prussia, who took him in, giving him a pension and several ecclesiastical benefices.

During the Seven Years' War, he was arrested in Magdeburg and placed under house arrest in Głogów. He eventually reconciled with the Church by publicly recanting his theses, and became archdeacon of the Głogów chapter before dying there in 1782. His works include an Apologie de sa thèse and an Abrégé de l'histoire ecclésiastique.