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Saint Germain des Pres Paris

Saint Germain des Pres Paris
Since ever, Saint Germain des Pres area has been a place of a particular charm that has always inspired artists. The area starts to develop near the abbey that Childebert build up at the end ot the 7th century, counseled by bishop Germain, in order to shelter treasures of the Vandals, such as Saint Vincents’s tunic. This church and its monastery becomes rapidly the richest one in France and after the death of bishop Germain, its name is changed into Saint Germin des Pres. The suburb continues to develop and becomes in the 17th century a center of literature and theater life. Artists meet in the cafes, already flourishing, such as Procope that opens in 1689 at the moment of the Saint Germain trade. Curiously and contrary to all the customs, it becomes the place where artists and clerics cohabit peacefully. The Revolution in 1789 sounds the death knell for the powerful Benedictine abbey, successively destroyed by an explosion and by a fire. Still, the Saint Germain des Pres area continues its intellectual and artistic blossom, especially in the 19th century. Artists settle there, be it painters like Delacroix, Ingres and Manet, writers like Racine, Balzac and Georges Sand or actors like Mounet-Sully.

History

In front of the church, three coffees became famous during the 20th century. In the brewery "Lipp" meet journalists, actors and politicians like François Mitterrand. At the “Deux Magots” and the “Flore”, are rather writers and artists. Apollinaire, Rémy de Gourmont, and Charles Maurras often came to the Flore. Later, the existentialists and their friends met there : Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Prévert, Juliette Gréco, Giacometti, Jean Genet… Others as Boris Vian were going to dance and play Jazz in the cellars of the street of Rennes. During the Second World War, while Parisians are subject to restrictions and curfew, those cafés are the last place of free exchange of opinions. Every day Jean – Paul Sartre et Simone de Beauvoir arrive early in the morning in one of the cafes in order to get the best seat, near the stove.
Picasso finishes "Guernica" in his atelier in rue des Saints Augustins, where his friend Man Ray often comes to visit him.  In Saint Germain des Pres cellars, artists listen to the New Orleans Jazz and the Be Bop, brought to the Club Saint Germain or to the Blue Note by Sidney Bechet, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington.
Saint Germain des Pres counts today many pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.
Some of them are today very famous and are places not to be missed when visiting paris like La Coupole restaurant and Lipp Brasserie for instance.

Places to see & things to do

Places to see and things to do in Saint Germain des Pres district : Les Deux Magots & Flore café, Orsay museum, Saint Germain des Pres Boulevard, Saint Sulpice Church, Street Saint Andre des Arts, Odéon, Lipp Brasserie & Procope Cafe and also in the vicinity of Saint Germain des Pres are located : Pantheon - Luxembourg gardens and Latin Quarter. More details : Must see in Paris

Saint Germain des Pres Pictures : Pictures of The Saint Germain des Pres Paris

More info about Saint Germain des Pres history on www.saint-germain-des-pres.com

Visit Saint Germain des Pres in Paris
Things to do & places to see

Paris City guide : We provide a comprehensive guide to things to do and places to see in Paris, restaurants, bars, night clubs, hotels, shops, maps, events, attractions, museums, tips & phone numbers and even more: We have selected the best places to visit - Read our travel tips, our restaurants & hotels reviews, learn about Paris History ... We have also collected the useful maps (city & subway). This page features information about Saint Germain des Pres district.