What if the walls of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés could talk? This town in the southeastern suburbs of Paris is more than just a residential area. Saint-Maur-des-Fossés has a history stretching back to the 7th century.
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés owes its name to Saint-Maur Abbey. Queen Nanthild founded it in 638. The location was known as Fossati. This means “the moats”. It was at the narrow entrance of a loop where the Marne River flowed.
The abbey was initially dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and the Virgin Mary. It was called Sanctus Petrus Fossatensis. This means “Saint Peter of the Moats”. Blidegisil founded it in 638. He was the archdeacon of Paris.
In 868, King Charles the Bald invited monks from another abbey to relocate here. They brought relics of Saint Maurus. Saint Maurus’ relics became famous in the Middle Ages. People believed they could heal gout and epilepsy. Saint Pierre des Fossés became a pilgrimage center. The abbey was renamed Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. This means “Saint Maurus of the Moats”.
The story goes that prayers to Saint Maur brought rainfall during a drought in 1137. Prayers to the Virgin and Saints Peter and Paul were ineffective.
In 1535, the abbey was secularized. Philibert Delorme designed a château on the site for Cardinal Jean du Bellay in 1541. Catherine de Medici acquired the château in 1563. She substantially rebuilt it.
King Charles IX issued the Edict of Saint-Maur in 1568. It prohibited all religions except Catholicism. This led to religious intolerance in Paris. It also led to the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572.
The Château de Saint-Maur was nationalized during the French Revolution. It was emptied and the land was divided. The structure was demolished for its materials. Virtually nothing remains today.
The settlement around the abbey developed a market in the 13th century. The present territory includes La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire. This was a distinct village near the abbey’s domains.
Part of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés became Joinville-le-Pont in 1791. During the French Revolution, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés was renamed Vivant-sur-Marne. This means “Alive upon Marne”. It was a rejection of religion.
After the Revolution, the commune was called Saint-Maur. In 1897, “des-Fossés” was re-added. This distinguished it from other communes called Saint-Maur. Vestiges of the abbey were collected in the Musée du vieux Saint-Maur in 1924.
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is almost entirely surrounded by a loop of the Marne River. The town is rich in history. It owes its name to the abbey founded in 638. Saint-Maur grew into a market town. Today, it is virtually a suburb of Paris. It has efficient road and rail links.
Old Saint-Maur offers much. The church of St. Nicholas is beautiful. So is the Tour Rabelais within the abbey ruins. The Villa Medici is now the town museum. Visitors stroll along the Marne River. It is a tributary of the Seine.
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is twinned with Bognor Regis in the United Kingdom. This link was established in 1979.
So, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is a town of many layers. It is a place where history and modern life intertwine. As you wander through Saint-Maur-des-Fossés today imagine the echoes of monks royal visits and revolutionary fervor. It all shaped this unique Parisian suburb.