Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés Fontaine Pastorale. For nearly 15 centuries, the Abbey Church of Saint Germain des Prés has been a crucible for the development and diffusion of religious, secular, and scientific thought.

​The church we see today was completed in 1014 and sits on the same footprint as Childebert’s original 6th century structure, destroyed in the 9th century by marauding Vikings. Most of the Abbey, except for the chapel and the Bishop's palace, was destroyed during the French Revolution. The chapel was subsequently restored and became the parish church.