Le Mans Cathedral

The cathedral of Saint-Julien de Le Mans, officially, in French, cathédrale Saint-Julien du Mans, is a religious building located in the city of Le Mans. It is the symbol of the diocese and seat of the bishop of the city. It is one of the largest buildings from the Gothic-Romanesque period in France, unique in the French West.

Although it is comparable to the cathedrals of Rheims or Chartres, it is less well known than these and has undergone many reconstructions and renovations since its foundation. Bishop Vulgrin began its construction in 1060, and it was finished, as it stands today, in 1430. It cannot be said to be completely finished as it was to have been extended in 1500, but a lack of means prevented this extension from being carried out to which the religious authorities of the time had to resign themselves. The cathedral, which had deteriorated greatly over the years due to car pollution and was covered with a layer of rubbish, was completely renovated in 2003. The tombs of Saint-Julien and Charles d’Anjou have been preserved.