Vitrail de l’Ascension – Cathédrale Saint-Julien

Le Mans cathedral offers an exceptional panorama of glass production from the 12th century to the present day.

The nave has a very large collection of Romanesque stained glass windows. The Ascension window, located in the south aisle of the nave, is the oldest stained glass window (early 12th century) still in place in a religious building.
The two central registers remain from the original stained glass window. It shows the Virgin Mary and the Apostles witnessing Christ's ascent to heaven, which has now disappeared. The simplicity of the decoration, the upward movement of the gestures and clothes, and the brilliance of the colours give life and modernity to this major work, which symbolises the artistic centre of Mance under the Plantagenets. The abstract panels were created by Max Ingrand in 1956.