Guided tour of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district

Situated just south of the Seine and west of the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Prés was once home to a large monastery and a small market town.

The monastery was founded in 532 by Childebert, the second king of France. Although it became prosperous and powerful, the monastery did not survive the Viking raids of the 9th century.

The monks camped in the ruins until 990, when the monastery was rebuilt by King Robert the Pious. The town between the monastery and the city was very lively. Theatres even appeared.

By the 17th century, the town had become an artistic and literary centre, and was already home to Lully's first opera, Molière's first plays and the first Comédie Française.

Construction of the Romanesque church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés began around the year 1000, and it is one of the oldest in Paris. The rounded arches, small windows and thick walls of the bell tower are typical of the Romanesque style.

The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district quickly became a meeting place for artists, intellectuals and writers.

Since the 17th century, the village has been home to writers such as Racine and La Rochefoucauld. In the 19th century, painters such as Delacroix and Manet and writers such as Balzac also settled here, as did Benjamin Franklin and Oscar Wilde.

In the 1920s, many Americans were attracted by the charm of this district. Even Hemingway and his wife lived here, and Henry Miller was a frequent visitor.

Picasso later moved here and it was here that he painted Guernica.

Life here is concentrated in the centre of the square, opposite the church, and in the 3 famous cafés in the vicinity. The square is a popular meeting place, often featuring musicians and sculptures on display. Les Deux Magots, 6 place de L'Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés, takes its name from the two Chinese statues that have been on display inside since the café was a silk shop. When it opened, the café was a favourite of poets such as Verlaine and Rimbaud.

In the 1930s, Picasso also liked to come here. Towards the end of the 1930s, the café was frequented by existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre and writers Camus and Prévert.

Once the café had become a favourite of the German occupiers in Paris, Sartre and his colleagues abandoned it for the Café de Flore a block away at 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain. The owner made the first floor available to them for sitting, sipping coffee and writing. It was here that Sartre wrote his famous treatise: L'être et le néant. The other famous place to stop for a drink is the Brasserie Lipp, across the street at 151 Boulevard St-Germain. It was popular with poets André Gide and Paul Valéry in the 1920s and it was here that Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms.

The Institut de France at 23 quai Conti, with its distinctive dome, was built in the 17th century for Louis XIV's prime minister, Mazarin. It now houses the 5 French academies of arts and sciences.

Of course, the best way to live like a Parisian is to rent a furnished flat in the heart of this famous district, such as this superb one. holiday rental in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Don't forget that New York Habitat offers other furnished rentals in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and all over Pariswhether they are holiday rentals or furnished flats.

We hope you enjoyed the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, where culture and history meet.

Thank you for taking this guided tour of New York Habitat.

We look forward to seeing you soon on the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.