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Saint-Germain Chateau


Chateau and Alexandre Dumas

Musées Debussy-Prieuré
Antiquités

Saint Germain en Laye - Musee Debussy- Musee Prieure-Musee Antiquites Nationales

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There are a few interesting sites and museums to visit in the city of Saint-Germain en Laye.

The CLAUDE DEBUSSY MUSEUM, 38 rue du Pain (telephone: 134 51 05 12) is the 17th and 18th century house, where the composer was born and raised. Listed in the Historical Monuments inventory, you will find personal objects concerning Debussy and an array of testimonies about him. Pictorial documents that will also allow you to get a better knowledge of Debussy's personality. His intimate and familiar environment, his artistic likings and affinities are recalled not only in the musical domain, but also for the poetry, the literature, and the paintings that marked his era, which was heavily charged with symbolism. It houses also an auditorium where temporary exhibitions and concerts are organized. Notice the light and elegant curves of the wooden staircase in the courtyard. 
Head to the 2 bis, rue Maurice Denis. The MUSEE DEPARTMENTAL "LE PRIEURE" (telephone: 139 73 77 87) was set up in 1980 in and old priory of the 13th century, then the old hospital built in 1678 under the patronage of Madame de Montespan. It was bought in 1914 by the painter Maurice Denis. The house was, during his entire life, the meeting point of his friends Emile Bernard, Maximilien Luce….The collection, inspired by the personality of Maurice Denis, displays post-impressionist paintings. Three thousand of these works are in constant rotation. The main tendency of this collection is the "Nabis" style. Bonnard, Viullard, Paul Serusier, who was the founder of this movement in 1888.
From Hebrew , meaning prophets, they were influenced by Gauguin, and developed a style characterized by flat areas of bold colour and heavily outlined surface patterns. They were unified by their dislike of Impressionism. The expressed them selves not only through painting but also: stained windows, posters… The museum has also works of the Ecole de Pont-Aven (Gauguin, Moret, Bernard) and works of Mondriaan, Lalique, Toulouse -Lautrec. 
The chapel is decorated by stained windows, frescos and liturgical furnishing by Maurice Denis.
Finally you may not miss the charming garden, with its thousand and one odours, with a statue of Bourdelle. 
The NATIONAL ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM (telephone: 33 1 34 51 53 65) (Musée des Antiquités Nationales), located in the chateau. It is about history of mankind from the origins to the middle Ages. The archaeological room, located in the old castle ballroom, displays all the archaeological periods with their world extension. Seventeenth and eighteenth century cork models of roman and gallo-roman monuments. You will even be able to see a reproduction of the famous Grottes de Lascaux Numerous funeral steles. 
Then you enter the great "salle des fetes " of the chateau (sale de Mars) with the open fire decorated by a salamander, emblem of Francois 1er. 

Bibliography

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of France, by De Castries- Epitaph for Kings, by Sanche de Gramont- De Saint-Germain en Laye á Marne-la-Vallée, by Claude Bordas- La Cour des Stuarts á Saint-Germain-en-Laye au temps de Louis XIV , by J. Lepoirier-Saint-germain-en-Laye1800-1940, by J. Poteau