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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-du-Pré, located on the right bank of the Sarthe in Le Mans, was built between the 11th and 12th centuries on the remains of an oratory attributed by tradition to Saint Julien. It served as an abbey church at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Julien-du-Pré. Its nave, with alternately round and square pillars, and its 1 metre raised choir reflect a homogeneous Romanesque architecture, although Gothic vaults were added in the 15th century.

The crypt of the church housed the relics of St Julien until they were transferred to the cathedral in 1835. The monument, 58 metres long, was the third largest building in Le Mans after the cathedral and the Abbey of the Couture. Its walkway, with three absidial chapels arched in cul-de-four, and its large, brazed windows illustrate a mixture of archaic Romanesque techniques and architectural innovations.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the church underwent major restorations in the 19th century, including the addition of a bell tower. In 1950 Max Ingrand installed a cross road and modern stained glass windows. Its history also reflects its evolution, from a monastery from the 6th century to an emblematic building of Mansai heritage, marked by stylistic revivals and liturgical adaptations.

The building preserves traces of its abbatial past, like alternating supports in the choir, similar to that of the church of the Couture. The uplifted arches and columns of the walk-by show regional influences. Despite its gradual integration into the city, it remained for a long time a symbol of the outside suburbs, linked to monastic life and local devotion to St Julien.

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