The Saint Germain de Pres church is the only example of Romanesque architecture in Paris. It is a remnant of the former Benedictine Abbey, founded in the 6th century by Bishop German. Descartes and the heart of Polish king Jan II Kazimierz Waza are buried in the temple.
Saint Germain Abbey has existed in Paris since the 6th century. The church building preserved until today comes from the 11th century. Next to it is the fourteenth-century palace of the abbots. The church is a Romanesque building with a Gothic choir added later. A massive tower on a square plan is adjacent to the nave with a transept. The interior is covered with polychromes depicting scenes from the Holy Bible and the history of the monastery.
From 1669, the abbot of the Saint Germain monastery was Jan II Kazimierz. After abdicating, he left Poland for Paris and devoted himself to prayer and meditation. After his death, his heart was buried in the abbey, and the body was transported to Krakow and placed in the Wawel Cathedral. In 1819, the remains of Descartes deceased in Stockholm were moved to the church.
Attractions inside
