Cathédrale Saint-Maurice

The Cathédrale Saint-Maurice stands on a hill above the Maine River in the centre of Angers, the capital of Maine-et-Loire, and it is Angers’ main religious landmark and the finest religious building of the Anjou region. Reached by staircases rising from the riverbank, it commands the old town and, together with the nearby castle, defines the skyline from the water. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Maurice, the Roman soldier and martyr, and its story spans the twelfth century to the sixteenth century.

Its great importance in architectural history lies in its nave and its vaults. The nave, built in the twelfth century, is a single wide space covered by bulging, domed ribbed vaults, and this style of vaulting became known as the Angevin or Plantagenet Gothic, and the cathedral is often called the cradle of Anjou's Gothic style, because it flourished in the lands ruled by the Counts of Anjou and the Plantagenet kings of England. The result is airy and unusually harmonious, and it makes the cathedral a good place to study how Romanesque and Gothic ideas met. The older elements, including the west front, are Romanesque, while later work such as the transept and choir show the full development of Gothic building.

The west portal is carved with a Christ in majesty surrounded by symbols of the evangelists, and the column statues beside it are among the notable sculptures of the period. The towers above are later additions, topped by Renaissance-style cupolas that give the facade its slightly mixed look. The building is one of the great medieval treasures of France's west, altered across centuries.

Inside, the stained glass is the great attraction. Windows from the twelfth, thirteenth and later centuries survive, with rich blues and reds, and together they make up one of the notable ensembles of medieval glass in western France. Tapestries, a fine organ and tombs and furnishings from later centuries fill the aisles and chapels. Mass is still celebrated here, so the atmosphere is that of a living church.

The cathedral is easily combined with other sights in Angers. The Château d'Angers and its Apocalypse Tapestry lie a few minutes' walk away, as do the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Quartier Saint-Aubin. The railway station, Gare d'Angers Saint-Laud, is around a fifteen-minute walk, so the cathedral works as a first stop on arrival. Visit in the morning or on a bright afternoon to see the windows glow.