Laval Cathedral, Romanesque cathedral in Laval, France

Laval Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the center of Laval, France, combining Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements within the same building. It sits between two main squares and its interior features arches, columns, and stained glass windows from different centuries.

The building traces back to a chapel founded around 1070 by monks, and it was expanded and reshaped over several centuries. It only became a cathedral in 1855, when the Diocese of Laval was created.

The parishioners paid for two chapels built north-west of the choir between 1517 and 1541, in a Renaissance style that breaks with the rest of the church; their oval dome and portal are the most recognisable details. The canons refused Count Guy XVI the title of founder and took him to court, and in 1516 an uprising forced him to flee the castle. Guy XVII and his wife gave two painted windows in 1542, one showing Melchisedech offering bread and wine to Abraham, the other Judith.

The cathedral is easy to reach on foot from the center of Laval and its entrances are at street level. Since it remains an active place of worship, wearing modest clothing during a visit is a good idea.

The church was not oriented east like most churches: hemmed in by the ramparts, its builders gave it a south-east axis, and the choir had to be built on an earthen platform. A 14th-century fire caused by a Greek fire during festivities for Guy X of Laval destroyed the spire, which was rebuilt on the same plan.