Tucked away behind the Louvre, is the lovely mediaeval Church of St Germain L'Auxerrois. Possibly…read morefounded as early as the 5th Century, the first church was destroyed by the Norman's in 885, and rebuilt in the 11th Century.
Little remains of that period, however, as further rebuilding continued through the Middle Ages; the tower was built in the 12th Century, and west portal in the 1220s. The choir and first bay of the Chapel of the Virgin date from the 14th Century and the porch and Nabe from the 15th Century.
As with most of Paris's churches, it was damaged in the Revolution and again in the riots of 1831. Renovations began later in the 1830s, and continued through the 19th Century.
The church today contains a number of statues of the Virgin Mary from the mediaeval period, and the intricate 16th Flemish altarpiece of the Passion (16th Century) and the pulpit of 1635 represent woodwork of the highest quality. Most of the stained glass is 19th Century.
Note that the splendid large belfry between the Church and the town hall at the front is mid 19th Century - the Church's tower is adjacent to the south transept.