All that remains of the Benedictine abbey, founded in the 11th century by Duke Alain III outside the city walls and protected from the 15th century onwards by the mediaeval ramparts, is the 17th-century palace built by the “Laval architects” Tugal Caris and Pierre Corbineau under the helm of Magdeleine de la Fayette. It currently houses city council offices. In the centre, under the roof, an arched pediment bears the abbey coat of arms, featuring a royal crown and representations of Justice and Peace. The building is illuminated at nightfall, accentuating the harmonious elegance of its high arcades topped with two floors in pale tuffeau stone.
Practical information:
- To get there by metro: line b, Saint-Germain station | By bus: lines C1, C3, C5 and 12, Place Pasteur stop and lines C4, C6 and 67, Musée Beaux-Arts stop | STAR station, the bicycle: Musée Beaux-Arts | By car: parking Kléber
- The garden is open from 1 October to 29 February from 8 am to 6 pm | from 1 March to 30 April from 8 am to 7.30 pm | from 1 May to 31 August from 8 am to 8 pm | from 1 to 30 September from 8 am to 7.30 pm
- Dogs are allowed and must be kept on a lead