This is the reign of the semi-circular arch, robust walls and small openings. Begun in the 11th century, Saint-Germain-des-Près is the oldest church in the capital, and a good number of its stones recount marvels of Romanesque art. While few edifices of this period remain today in Paris, the traces still visible are worth the detour: admire, for example, the entirely Romanesque harmony of the east end of the former abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs (12th century), in the 3rd “arrondissement”.
