The Church St Germain of Saint Germain en Laye !!!

Posted in Europe, France, Paris

I used to lived not far from it and came to do market shopping as well as sightseeing on weekends just to see something different, I like to tell you a bit more of royal Saint Germain en Laye, a wonderful town that should be visited more, easy from Paris on the RER A trains, A great historical and architecturally stunning town with an old castle ,beautiful museum ,and nice church. I found me ,again, some pics not in my blog and they should. Therefore, here is my take again on the Church St Germain of Saint Germain en Laye !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Church Saint-Germain facade has a triangular pediment supported by six Tuscan columns, four of which are aligned in front and two in return. The present Church is the fourth built on the site. It was built on the site of an ancient Church built in 1683 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and became too small, which replaced a first church of the 14C. The first stone laid on November 20 1766 by the Duke of Noailles: the works were quickly stopped but taken over by the order of king Louis XVI at the request of the municipal assembly. The French revolution provoked the abandonment of the works until 1823, when the construction was restarted, and proceeded to the completion of it in 1827. The new Church was blessed on December 2, 1827 by Jean-François-Étienne Borderies, Bishop of Versailles.

The Church houses the Mausoleum of the King of England, James II (Stuart), exiled to France and greeted by his cousin king Louis XIV. He resided and died at the Château de Saint-Germain,across the street.

 

 

You can, also, see inside the Benedetto Antelami, Descent of the Cross, 1178, identical to that preserved in the Cathedral of Parma. It was offered to the Church by a family of the city in 1994. Its origin is disputed: It would be a second version made by the artist or a later copy…Notre-Dame du Bon Retour (Our Lady of the Good Return), 14C, Virgin and the Child discovered in the 19C during the construction work of the Church.  Christ on the Cross, 17C in Baroque style, unknown origin. Baroque pulpit chair given by king Louis XIV, from the third chapel of the Château de Versailles, abandoned in 1710 to make way for the present chapel of Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte. Charles-Joseph Natoire, the Baptism of Christ c.1750, originally painted for the chapel of the castle of Machaud d’Arnouville, Minister of king Louis XV. Very close to a first version made in 1747 (now at Museum of Fine Arts of Arras). This painting is the last work painted in France by Natoire, then at the height of its fame, before its definitive departure for Rome. Honoré Icard, the Hereafter, 1913, grouping in marble. The walls of the nave and the apse are adorned with frescoes by Amaury-Duval, a pupil of Ingres, on the theme of the New Testament. They were completed in 1857.

The Grand Organ was commissioned by king Louis XIV to Alexandre Thierry in 1698. Aristide Cavaillon-Coll rebuilt the organ keeping the old part that could be saved. In 1903, Charles Mutin remade the instrument (forty four games), the largest part of the piping of the 18C disappeared. In 1967, the company Haerpfer-Erman performed a restoration and reinstalled the back positive by Mutin. Buffet in 1930 and instrumental part in 1975. The Choir organ was built by Aristide Cavaillon-Coll in 1889.

A great personality and local boy was Claude Debussy ,French musician born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on August 22, 1862, was baptized at the Church Saint-Germain on July 31, 1864.

The local Seine St Germain en Laye tourist office on the Church:  https://www.seine-saintgermain.fr/offres/eglise-saint-germain-saint-germain-en-laye-fr-5357036/

The city of St Germain en Laye on its history/heritage:  https://www.saintgermainenlaye.fr/140/envie-de/visiter-saint-germain-en-laye.htm

The Choir of St Germain Church : http://www.choeursaintgermain.fr/

The Association of old Friends of St Germain en Laye to help preserve heritage: http://www.amisvieuxsaintgermain.org/index.html

 There you go folks, do not miss it next time, worth your time there. Wonderful Saint Germain en Laye, many memories especially from the sights just to come to the market for goodies with the family. The royal town is part of the history of the city and my belle France, Again, hope you have enjoy the post on the Church St Germain of Saint Germain en Laye !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

 

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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