Discovering one of the most beautiful gems of Le Mans: the Saint-Julien Cathedral

With its Cité Plantagenêt, Gallo-Roman walls, Museum of the 24 Hours motorsport race, and Museum of Fine Arts, Le Mans has no shortage of monuments and exceptional attractions. One of the most admirable is undoubtedly the Saint-Julien Cathedral. With its magnificent architecture mixing Romanesque and Gothic, its unique frescoes and priceless stained-glass windows, it’s a breathtakingly impressive building.

A sacred site for millennia

While the foundations of Saint-Julien Cathedral date back to the 4th or 5th centuries, a menhir placed at the southwest corner bears witness to the site having been a sacred place for several millennia. This imposing building dominates a vast esplanade, commanding attention with the majesty of its architecture mixing Romanesque and French Gothic elements. The cathedral is also one of the largest religious buildings of this period in France. Remodelled many times between the 10th and 15th centuries, it reveals countless secrets and stylistic details to the careful observer. However, the most impressive is undoubtedly its magnificent stained-glass windows and frescoes.

Essential work

If you visit Saint-Julien Cathedral this year, you may be disappointed to see scaffolding in place. This is necessary because major work has been undertaken to secure the Chapelle de la Vierge, the axial chapel which houses the superb depictions of the musical angels. Water seepage from the roof and gutters made an intervention essential. So, the visiting conditions are not ideal, but the archaeologists and specialists have planned the work so that visitors are allowed maximum access to the site and a visit is still an absolute delight.

The Saint-Julien Cathedral is a jewel of Angevin Gothic. For more than a thousand years, it has watched over the Manceaux and gives the city its prestige. During your stay at the Hotel Le Mans Country Club, start your discovery of the Cité Plantagenêt with a visit to this unmissable holy place!

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Photo: dbrnjhrj

Hotel le Mans Country Club, a 4 star hotel - restaurant located at 15 minutes from Mans