This church originally had three towers, two at the east end and one at the west entrance. Saint-Germain-des-Prés as we see it today has been considerably altered since the original construction. In fact, the entire site has been modified beyond recognition. Where once were the buildings and fields of an extensive abbey, today is the Left Bank of Paris.
The abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés took in much of what is now the 5th and 6th Arrondissements along the river. At one point the abbey donated land so the University of Paris could be built, thereby creating the name "Latin Quarter" since that was the language both of the monks and of university instruction.
这间教堂原本有三座钟楼，东边两座（已毁），西边入口处一座。我们现在看到的圣日耳曼德普雷相对它原来的样貌已经面目全非了。这所修道院曾经拥有的建筑和大片领地，变成了今天的整个巴黎左岸。圣日耳曼修道院曾经占据了今天巴黎沿着塞纳河的第五区和第六区的大部分土地。正是这间修道院捐出的土地，才使得巴黎大学能够建立。正因为如此，巴黎的这个地区被人叫做“拉丁角”，因为拉丁语是修道院的修士和巴黎大学授课使用的共同语言。
