Saint-Julien cathedral of Mans

The cathedral Saint-Julien is a religious building located in the city of the Mans. It is the symbol of the Diocèse and the évêché of Mans where seat the bishop of the city. It is one of the largest buildings of the Gothic time - Romance of France and a single case in the West.

The building is often compared with the cathedrals of Rheims or Chartres. Less known, that of Mans underwent many constructions and rebuildings since its foundation. Started towards 1060 with the bishop Vulgrin, it was completed under its current form about 1430. It never was truly finished. Indeed, it should have been still increased about 1500, but the lack of means made resign the religious authorities of the time. Attacked by the pollution of the cars, covered with the passing of years with a film of waste, the Saint-Julien cathedral was entirely renovated in 2003. It shelters the tombs of holy Julien or Charles of Anjou.

History

The first construction and accidents

The foundation of the cathedral would go back to. The first historical traces are those of the Vulgrin bishop in 1056. It chooses itself the site of the building, contrary to the northern enclosing wall of the city. This choice will not prove to be the best for the future enlargings of the cathedral. It is then the “moral and religious rectification of Mans”. Ten years after this first construction, the building collapses. The successors of Vulgrin decide to continue its work. The bishop Arnaud, charges some since 1067, takes again construction. In 1081, the chorus and the crypt are built, just as the foundations of the Transept and its turns. Of this “rebuilding”, there remains today nothing any more but one fragment of arc of the northern transept. The Hoël bishop decides into 1085 to complete work of his predecessor. Admiring of Norman work, it calls upon workmen of this area to continue construction. The turns and the sides of the nave are completed in this style. During this long construction, it is impossible for the pilgrims to approach the relics and the tombs of Julien saint, first bishop of Mans and great figure of Eastern Christianity. The mancelle economy is sullied with it. The inhabitants oblige the architect then to open the building with the visitors. That is done on October 17th, 1093. A completed part of the cathedral is shown with the public.

Between enlargings and rebuildings

Three years pass before the new bishop Hildebert de Lavardin does not take again the supervision of work. The direction in fact is entrusted by it to a monk of Vendôme: Jean. The cathedral is regarded as fully completed in 1120. The dedication is celebrated by the bishop Hildebert and the authorities of the time are impressed by the result. In truth, the cathedral at that time does not resemble so much that which is visible today. Large for the time, it is comparable with the size of a large church of today. In 1134, a storm falls down on the city of Mans. All the houses placed on the “Plantagenêt hill” are destroyed in a fire. The roofs being then of thatch and straws, the flashes set them ablaze “remain red”. The cathedral does not escape from it. The disaster victims parts quickly are rebuilt, but 4 years later, another fire comes to strike the city and the building. The central nave and the southern tower are then remade. The central nave becomes a superb building: 55 meters the long ones on 23 of width are necessary to create this part in purely Romance style. One tests novel methods of foundation to rebuild the vault. The intersecting ribs is adopted. The pillars are rehabilitated and of higher and larger bays are inserted. Vis-a-vis the main street of Mans, a large gate is born. Placed on the southern side of the nave, it did not move any more since. Guillaume de Passavant, new bishop, inaugurates and dedication the new cathedral on April 18th, 1158. Work takes again in 1220. Old the chorus, appearing too dark and too narrow for the bishop of then, a new construction is undertaken. The result must be according to its dires “broad and splendid”. Since 1217, the southern enclosing wall of the city had been destroyed accordingly. It is rebuilt, but in materials different from those used by first kings Plantagenêt. Without this initiative, the Plantagenêt city would have been, can be still today, fully surrounded by its wall. However, without this demolition, the panorama which offers today the cathedral would never have been born. The cathedral cumulates two major arts in only one building: Romanesque art (the nave) and new Gothic art (new chorus). The stained glasses are still today the symbol of this “fusion of the kinds”.

With the support of the area, and the gifts of the citizens, a project of restitution of the arrow of the cathedral, as its four pyramidons is in hand. In a near future, the Saint-Julien cathedral of Mans should find all its splendor.

The final form

The traces of the history of construction are lost then. The size of the building site is gigantic. It is a true transformation. Only three names of architects remain on the registers of the files of the city. There was certainly of it much more… The new chorus is completed in 1254. It 10 height meters exceeds the remainder of the cathedral. After 100 years of peace, the stones of the building are the new ones solicited for a rebuilding. A sacristy is built whereas it communicates to the south with the déambulatoire which was used for construction of the chorus. The building still gains in size.

The Chanoine S find then that the “two-speed” construction of the building resulted in making it rather ugly. The meeting of the kinds between the two renovated and not renovated parts reduces the splendor of the building. The transept and the nave must then be raised of 10 meters, to be located at the same height as the chorus itself. Work is started since 1385 by the Jehan architect Mazçon. The southern transept is completed in the neighborhoods 1392. It is on this date that Charles VI arrives at Mans. A room of files is born with the top from the gate from the nave.

In 1403, work of the Northern transept starts. It is then a black period for all the North of France. The Guerre One hundred Year old stops constructions. In 1419, the cathedral threatens to crumble. Fortunately, its foundations will be consolidated in time. The Northern transept is completed about 1430. It is on this date which the cathedral takes the face that one knows to him today.

Many other projects had been made as of the end of the One hundred Year old war, to increase even more this building, already impressive. The raising of the nave in particular was being studied. But the cases are empty after the war and no enlarging is tried more.

Many restorations were made with the wire centuries. At the XXe century, no bombardment touches the building at the time of the two world wars (what is not the case of the bridges of Mans). Pollution and vandalism give to the cathedral a dark and ugly aspect as of the years 1970.

Plans and architecture

The architecture of the cathedral is complex. It is with half-Romance and half-Gothic. Good number of representative statuettes on the building would have never to be there. Indeed, cut in the stone, certain representations are " demonstrations of artisans". The latter, whereas he worked on the project, received the strict minimum. They were placed and nourished by the church. When their statute déconvenait to them or that they wished to rebel, they created small characters in the stone. One sees for example birds, symbols of desired freedom… Decorative elements, they showed the artistic dispute of many workmen. The reliefs carved on the nave, as on the gates testify today still, of this time of construction.

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