L'Enceinte romaine du Mans - Cité Plantagenêt

Le Mans enclosure is the best preserved of all the ancient Roman Empire, along with those of the two imperial capitals: Rome and Byzantium (Istanbul). Unusual monument, unique in France!

The Gallo-Roman walls of Le Mans, also known as the Roman walls of Le Mans, in the town formerly known as Vindinum or Vindunum, capital of the Gallic people of the Aulerques Cénomans, were built during the Late Roman Empire, at a time long thought to be the end of the 2nd century but which more recent studies now place at the beginning of the 4th century.

The Roman wall forms an irregular quadrilateral 450 metres long and 200 metres wide. For more than 17 centuries, this 1,300-metre perimeter encircled the heart of the city. In reference to the colour of its walls, Vindunum (Le Mans) was known as the "red city".
Its construction of bricks and roussard stones bonded with pink mortar gives it this characteristic hue. It was built to assert imperial power: the exceptional richness of the facings, which still feature geometrically decorated friezes over 8 m high, is a masterly reminder of this. A rare monument, unique in France, the wall remains standing, albeit without any real foundations. Twelve towers, a gateway and three posterns are visible. Don't miss the Tour du Vivier, the Tour de la Madeleine, the Tour de Tucé, the Tour des Pans de Gorron, the Grande Poterne, etc.