On the banks of the river Mayenne, Laval is a town located in the north west of France.
The religious history of Laval covers a period from the end of Antiquity to the present day, with many ups and downs throughout history. And today, there remain a big number of churches which are part of the important religious heritage of the city.
The Saint Martin Church is a Romanesque church which can only be visited from the outside for safety reasons. The church was founded in the 11th century, with ferruginous sandstone, the building shows a traditional romanesque drawing. It is composed of a unique nave, a little prominent transept and a chevet with west-facing chapels.
Also, the Notre Dame de Pritz Chapel has masonry remains dating back to the Carolingian period. It houses a remarkable collection of wall paintings from the 11th to 15th centuries.
At the end of the Middle Ages, as the city was developing with trade. The rich cloth merchants decided to build a new church closer to their houses. This is how Saint Venerand church came about. The lower parts of the main doorway still embodies the flamboyant gothic tradition of the late 15th century.
The basilica was and is still important for the religious community, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, Notre-Dame d'Avesnières was a great place of pilgrimage in the middle ages. The cathedral brings a perfect harmony between the medieval era and the contemporary era.