Nanterre-La Folie: history and sights
Served by: RER E.
Did you know?
Named after the Folie district, which grew out of quarries and industry behind the Grande Arche de la Défense; the name Nanterre itself is thought to go back to the Celtic 'nemeto-dorum', 'sanctuary-fortress'.
Anecdote
Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, was born in Nanterre around 420; the well of her birthplace, said to be miraculous, lies in the courtyard of the cathedral presbytery.
Around Nanterre-La Folie
- Cathédrale Sainte-Geneviève, 2300 m away — Built between 1924 and 1936 in a Romanesque-Byzantine style, it kept a 14th-century bell tower and has 1,000 m² of frescoes; listed as a historic monument in 2010.
- Puits de sainte Geneviève, 2400 m away — According to tradition, the well of the saint's birthplace and a pilgrimage site; a 40 m² mosaic has stood above it since 2017.