Saint-Joseph Church

The beautiful Saint-Joseph church is impossible to miss ! You see it right from the start of the street. Built in neo-Gothic style between 1848 and 1865, it stands proudly just a few metres from the Mail garden, revealing its sumptuous façade from Arène Street. In the 18th century, this part of the city was located beyond the ramparts and was nothing more than a vast field. It was after the Revolution that the town began to expand in this area. During the 19th century, the parish priest Jacques Lasne decided to build a new church. This was followed by the addition of bell towers, ornamentation on the façade by Auguste Beignet, and a coloured stained glass window depicting scenes from the life of Saint Joseph. Before 1958, the steeples each had a spire. However, the spires were too heavy for the whole structure and threatened the church, so they were pulled down in the 1950s. Anyway, like many other buildings in Angers, it is still a fine example of the neo-Gothic style from Angers, known as Plantagenet.