Gallo-Roman walls of Le Mans

The Gallo-Roman walls of Le Mans are an ancient fortification that runs around much of the city, built from stone with characteristic colored patterns in the masonry. The structure features twelve towers and preserves large sections of the original wall, which you can see clearly while walking through the medieval streets nearby.

The walls were built in the early 4th century to protect the city of Vindinum, which was an important settlement at the time. They remained a military structure for centuries and continue to shape the appearance of Le Mans today.

The colorful geometric patterns on the walls, created with reddish stone and pink mortar, still define the appearance of Le Mans today. This decorative approach stands apart from other French fortifications.

The walls are easy to reach and you can enter them from several streets that pass under or alongside the old archways. The best way to explore them is to walk around slowly and observe the different sections, as the structure spans a large area.

The walls were once much thicker than most similar structures and display an unusual construction method with alternating layers of stone and mortar. This solid construction allowed the fortification to withstand the passage of many centuries.