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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois de Fontenay-sous-Bois, located on Rue de Rosny, is a Catholic building dependent on the diocese of Créteil. Consecrated to Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, it was originally built at the end of the 14th century on the foundations of a church of the 13th century, of which only the base of the bell tower remains today. Its history is part of a territory formerly called the parish of Saint-Germain de Fontenay on the wood of Vincennes, reflecting its geographical anchor close to the royal forest.

The nave, completed in the middle of the 16th century, was vaulted between 1555 and 1556 by Jean Arcillon, a Parisian mason, while the bells were baptized in 1534. In the 18th century, major changes were made: the choir and the bell tower were redesigned in 1728 by Jean-Baptiste Leroy, a Parisian entrepreneur, and the western facade was built in 1752 thanks to the parish priest Antoine de Laval. The droprot wall of the northern collateral was also receded to create shallow chapels between the foothills.

The building suffered extensive damage from lightning in the 19th century, requiring restorations carried out between 1847 and 1855 by architect Claude Naissant. A sacristy was added in 1875. Among its remarkable elements are organs installed in 1666, a retable of the 19th century, and two paintings of the 18th century discovered during works, representing the Holy Family and St Sebastian. The stained glass windows, dating back to the early twentieth century, include a representation of the 42nd Belfort Infantry Regiment. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, the church today embodies a major religious and architectural heritage of Val-de-Marne.

The church cemetery was transferred in 1823, marking an evolution in the use of parish spaces. The successive restorations and additions, like the modern stained glass windows, testify to the continuous adaptation of the building to liturgical and memorial needs, while preserving its historical character. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments in 1926 consecrated its heritage value, reinforced by its location in a town in the midst of urban change at the gates of Paris.

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