Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Germinois''. With its elegant tree-lined streets it is one of the more affluent suburbs of Paris, combining both high-end leisure spots and exclusive residential neighborhoods (see the Golden Triangle of the Yvelines). Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a

sub-prefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefecture ...

of the department. Because it includes the National Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, it covers approximately , making it the largest commune in the Yvelines. It occupies a large loop of the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

. Saint-Germain-en-Laye lies at one of the western termini of Line A of the RER.

History

Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Église Saint-Germain001

Saint-Germain-en-Laye was founded in 1020 when King Robert the Pious (ruled 996–1031) founded a convent on the site of the present Church of Saint-Germain. In 1688, James II of England exiled himself to the city after being deposed from the throne in what has become known as the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

. He spent the remainder of his days there, and died on 16 September 1701. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Château de Saint-Germain the residence of numerous French monarchs. The old château was constructed in 1348 by King Charles V on the foundations of an old

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

(''château-fort'') dating from 1238 in the time of Saint Louis.

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

was responsible for its subsequent restoration. In 1862, Napoleon III set up the ''

Musée des Antiquités Nationales The National Archaeological Museum (French: Musée d'Archéologie nationale) is a major French archaeology museum, covering pre-historic times to the Merovingian period (450–750 CE). It is housed in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the ' ...

'' in the erstwhile royal château. This museum has exhibits ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times. The " Dame de Brassempouy" sculpted on a mammoth's ivory tusk around 23,000 years ago is the most famous exhibit in the museum. Kings Henry IV and Louis XIII left their mark on the town. Louis XIV was born in the château (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth), and established Saint-Germain-en-Laye as his principal residence from 1661 to 1681. Louis XIV turned over the château to James VII & II of Scotland and England after his exile from Britain after the

in 1688. James lived in the Château for 13 years, and his daughter Louisa Maria Stuart was born in exile here in 1692. James II is buried in the parish church. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is famous for its long stone terrace built by

André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gar ...

from 1669 to 1673. The terrace provides a view over the valley of the

and, in the distance, Paris. During the French Revolution, the name was changed along with many other places whose names held connotations of religion or royalty. Temporarily, Saint-Germain-en-Laye became Montagne-du-Bon-Air. During his reign,

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

established his cavalry officers training school in the Château-Vieux. Bunker-St-germain-en-laye-009

The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed in 1919 and was applied on 16 July 1920. The treaty officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg empire, which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). During the occupation from 1940 to 1944, the town was the headquarters of the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

. On 1 January 2019, the former commune

Fourqueux Fourqueux () is a former commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It is a small suburb 20 km west of Paris. It is known for hav ...

was merged into Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Saint-Germain parish church

The parish church, which is dedicated to Germain of Paris, was originally constructed in the eleventh century, and the present building (the fourth on the site) was built in the 1820s in a Neoclassical style, with six Tuscan columns supporting a pediment on the main façade. The church houses the mausoleum of James II of England and was visited by Queen Victoria in 1855. The organ, originally installed in 1698, was rebuilt by

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (; 4 February 1811 – 13 October 1899) was a French organ builder. He has the reputation of being the most distinguished organ builder of the 19th century. He pioneered innovations in the art and science of organ buildi ...

in the nineteenth century and refurbished in 1903. The church's organists have included

Albert Renaud Albert Renaud may refer to: * Albert Renaud (organist) Albert Félix Joseph Renaud (1855 – 28 May 1924) was a French organist and composer who served for many years as organist at the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris.

(1891–1924), Albert Alain (1924–1971) and Marie-Claire Alain (1971–2010).

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye proper, in its geography at the given years. The population of

, absorbed in 2019, is not included.

Transport

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is connected to other communes by the Résalys bus network operated by Transdev Montesson-les-Rabeaux. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is served by

Saint-Germain-en-Laye station Saint-Germain-en-Laye is the main railway station serving Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. The station opened on 14 August 1847 with the opening of the ''ligne de Saint Germain'' (from Paris to Saint-Germain), an atmospheric railway An atmosph ...

on Paris

RER line A RER A is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its suburbs. The line crosses the region from east to west, with all t ...

. It is also served by two stations on the Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: Saint-Germain-Bel-Air–Fourqueux and Saint-Germain–Grande Ceinture. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is also served by

Achères–Grand-Cormier station Achères–Grand-Cormier is a French railway station in Achères, Yvelines, Achères, Yvelines ''Departments of France, département'', Île-de-France region. Location The station is at kilometric point 21.250 of Paris-Le Havre railway. It is i ...

on Paris RER line A and on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line. This station is located in the middle of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, far from the urbanized part of the commune.

Sport

Football

Saint-Germain-en-Laye has a proud footballing history. From 1904 to 1970, it was represented by

Stade Saint-Germain Stade Saint-Germain was a French football club active between 1904 and 1970, at which time it merged with Paris FC in 1970 to form Paris Saint-Germain. It was based in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The club's best performance in the Coup ...

, but following a 1970 merger with Paris FC, became Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG is a top-flight football team that is the most successful team in France in terms of trophies.

Sporting facilities

There is one main sporting facility in Saint-Germain-en-Laye: the

Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre The Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre is a sports complex located on Président-Kennedy avenue in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just across the street from Camp des Loges, the training centre of French Association football, football clu ...

. It covers over 12 hectares and contains: – 5 football pitches – 3 stands – 1 athletic track – 22 tennis courts – 1 clubhouse – 1 multibeach terrain

Economy

Capcom Entertainment France, a

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

subsidiary, has its head office in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.Contact
" Capcom. Retrieved 12 August 2011. "France: Capcom Entertainment France 30 bis, rue du Viel Abreuvoir FR.78100 Saint Germain En Laye" Slottet vid Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye

Slottet vid Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye

Education

the schools in this commune had 20,581 students, with 7,300 of them living in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. There is a high ratio of overall students to town inhabitants. The municipal nursery and primary schools have 3,549 students. 1,026 students attend private schools in the commune. 522 students attend the

Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

nursery and primary divisions.Children > Presentation
" Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

Schools

the municipality operates ten nursery schools and nine primary schools. The

, a public school, consistently ranks among France's top schools and is considered to be the country's best public international school. It includes 14 different language sections, including one for Japanese students, and the Japanese

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

(MEXT) lists that program in its group of European '' hoshuko'' (part-time Japanese educational programmes).欧州の補習授業校一覧（平成25年4月15日現在）

.

(MEXT). Retrieved 10 May 2014. Other public high schools: *

Lycée Jeanne-d'Albret In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

Lycée technologique Léonard-de-Vinci In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

Lycée technologique Jean-Baptiste-Poquelin In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

* Private schools include: * Collège et Lycée Notre-Dame * The

Institut d'études politiques de Saint-Germain-en-Laye Institut d'études politiques de Saint-Germain-en-Laye or Sciences Po Saint-Germain, is a French political science grande école situated on Saint-Germain-en-Laye, close to Paris and is attached to the Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Universi ...

and

Collège Marcel Roby Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ger ...

are located in the city.

Libraries

There are two libraries: * Bibliothèque multimédia * Bibliothèque George-Sand

In art

File:Alfred Sisley - The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring - Walters 37992.jpg, ''The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring'', 1875 by Alfred Sisley. The Walters Art Museum.

Hospital

* Centre hospitalier intercommunal de Poissy-Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Notable people

Saint-Germain-en-Laye was the birthplace of:

Nobility

* Henry II (1519–1559),

King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...

* Marie of France (1344–1404), Duchess of Bar * Jeanne d'Albret (1528–1572), Queen Regnant of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

* Charles IX (1550–1574), King of France * Louis de Buade de Frontenac (1622–1698), French courtier and Governor of New France * Louis XIV (1638–1715), King of France * Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, (1640–1701), younger brother of Louis XIV *

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (french: link=no, Louise Marie Thérèse; 28 June 1692 – 18 April 1712), known to Jacobites as The Princess Royal, was the last child of James II and VII, the deposed king of England, Scotland and Ireland, by his seco ...

(1692–1712), daughter of James II of England, known to Jacobites as the Princess Royal *

Charles O'Gara Charles O'Gara (born 1699 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain, d. 1777) was a French-born courtier of Irish parentage who rose to prominence in the service of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and later his son Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. Like the ...

(1699–1777), a courtier and official of the Holy Roman Empire of Jacobite Irish descent

Musicians

(1855–1924), organist *

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

(1862–1918), composer * Albert Alain (1880–1971), composer and organist * Jehan Alain (1911–1940), composer * Marie-Claire Alain (1926–2013), organist and organ teacher *

Benoît Delbecq Benoît Delbecq (born 6 June 1966) is a French pianist and composer. Early life Benoît Delbecq was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and raised in a musical environment. He started studying piano in Bougival at the age of seven with Nicolle Moll ...

(born 1966), jazz pianist and composer

Sports

Mohamed Haddadou Mohamed Haddadou (born 24 December 1974) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played in Ligue 2 with USL Dunkerque, Le Mans Union Club 72 and Stade Reims Stade de Reims () is a French professional footba ...

(born 1974), footballer * Amélie Mauresmo (born 1979), tennis player *

Ismael Gace Ismael may refer to: People * Ismael Balkhi, a political activist from Afghanistan * Ismael Blanco (born 1983), an Argentine professional footballer * Ismael Prego "Wismichu", a Spanish youtuber * Ismael Villegas, a Puerto Rican Major League Bas ...

(born 1986), footballer *

Christopher Oualembo Christopher Oualembo (born 31 January 1987) is a Congolese former professional footballer. Club career Oualembo began his career with Paris SG. Then he joined US Quevilly for the 2006–07 season. In January 2007 he moved to Levante UD and left t ...

(born 1987), footballer * Jonathan Eysseric (born 1990), tennis player *

Frédéric Vieillot Frédéric Vieillot (born 7 September 1990) is a French football striker who is currently a free agent after being released by Troyes in 2011. During the 2010–11 season, he had a loan spell with Championnat National side Beauvais Beauvais ...

(born 1990), footballer * Caroline Garcia (born 1991), tennis player *

Rashad Muhammed Rashad Muhammed (born 25 September 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Turkish club Ankara Keçiörengücü. Career Muhammed is a youth product of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and began his footballing career in semi ...

(born 1993), footballer * Gabriel Aubry (born 1998), racing driver

Other

John Patrick O'Gara John Patrick O'Gara was a French-born soldier of Irish descent who served in the Spanish Army during the eighteenth century. He was the son of Colonel Oliver O'Gara, a Jacobite exile who left Ireland for France following the surrender of forces ...

(born 1692), a soldier in the Spanish Army of Jacobite Irish descent *

Charles Gautier de Vinfrais Charles Gautier de Vinfrais, better known under the name Vinfrais l'ainé, (7 November 1704 – 4 Novembre 1797) was an 18th-century French officer of the Royal venery. Long a huntsman of King Louis XV of France with whom he hunted regularly, Vin ...

(1704–1797), hunter and encyclopédiste *

Louis-Michel Letort de Lorville Louis-Michel Letort de Lorville (29 August 1773 – 17 June 1815) was a French general of the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a baron de l'Empire on 9 September 1810, général de brigade on 30 January 1813, and acted as aide de camp to Napoleon hi ...

(1773–1815), French general of the Napoleonic Wars *

Jean Albert Gaudry Jean Albert Gaudry (16 September 1827 – 27 November 1908) was a French geologist and palaeontologist. He was born at St Germain-en-Laye, and was educated at the Catholic Collège Stanislas de Paris. He was a notable proponent of theistic evolut ...

(1827–1908), geologist and palaeontologist * Salomon Reinach (1858–1932),

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

* Jaque Catelain (1897–1965), actor *

Jacques Fesch Jacques Fesch (April 6, 1930, Saint-Germain-en-Laye – October 1, 1957, La Santé Prison, Paris) was the murderer of a French police officer, who became such a devout Roman Catholic while in prison awaiting execution that he has been proposed for ...

(1930–1957), Christian mystic *

Jean-Jacques Lafaye Jean-Jacques Lafaye (born 27 March 1958, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye) is a contemporary French writer and journalist. He has won Prix Cazes a french literature award in 1990. The award is also known as Prix Cazes-Brasserie Lipp Bibliography Jour ...

(born 1958), writer, essayist *

Albert Dupontel Albert Dupontel (; born 11 January 1964) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Following his father's path, he studied medicine but eventually switched to theater, disillusioned by hospital life. He started his career as a stand-up c ...

(born 1964), actor *

Emmanuelle Polack Emmanuelle Polack (born Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 1965) is a French art historian and author who investigates provenance of works of art in the Louvre as director of research there. Life and career Emmanuelle Polack grew up in Saint-Germain-en-La ...

(born 1965), art historian *

Christian de Boisredon Christian de Boisredon (born 2 February 1974) writer, social entrepreneur in the media field Founder of Sparknews (including Impact Journalism Day and Solutions&Co). Also named Ashoka Fellow in 2014 for Sparknews. Summary After his studies in a ...

(born 1974), social entrepreneur *

Mélanie Thierry Mélanie Thierry is a French actress. Early life and career Mélanie Thierry began her career as a model in France, then moved into acting. She began with a series of roles in French productions, and at the age of 17 appeared in the internationa ...

(born 1981), French actress *

Marion Maréchal-Le Pen Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

(born 1989), French politician The town is also associated with: * James II of England, king who lived there in exile and is buried there *

Charles-Hippolyte de Paravey Charles-Hippolyte de Paravey (25 September 1787, Fumay (Ardennes) – 1871, Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was a 19th-century French engineer and one of the founders of the Société Asiatique. Publications *1821: ''Rapport de M. le chevalier Delambre, s ...

, French engineer who died in the city * Gérard de Nerval (1808–1855), poet, who lived there during part of his childhood and adolescence * Gabriel de Mortillet (1821-1898) French archeologist and anthropologist, mayor of the town in 1882-1888 *

Pierre de Porcaro The Abbé Pierre de Porcaro (; August 1904 – 12 March 1945) was a French Roman Catholic priest who worked as an undercover minister during the Second World War. He was eventually captured by the Nazis and died in Dachau concentration camp. L ...

(1904–1945), priest and prisoner-of-war during the Second World War

Twin towns - sister cities

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is twinned with: * Aschaffenburg, Germany, since 1975 *

Schwelm Schwelm is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis in the administrative region of Arnsberg within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Geography Schwelm is situated in the southeast of the "''Ruhrgebiet''", the Ruhr district of Germany, be ...

, Germany * Ayr,

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

, Scotland, since 1984 * Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, since 1990 *

Konstancin-Jeziorna Konstancin-Jeziorna is a town in Piaseczno County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,566 inhabitants (as of March 2011, according to GUS). It is located about south of downtown Warsaw and is a part of the metropolitan area of that city. Th ...

, Poland, since 1992

References

External links

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Saint-Germain-en-Laye
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saintgermainenlaye Communes of Yvelines Cities in Île-de-France Subprefectures in France 1020 establishments in Europe 1020s establishments in France Populated places established in the 11th century