Villennes-sur-Seine (, literally Villennes on Seine) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. Villennes-sur-Seine is located in the Seine Valley west of Paris. Located in the village itself are an eleventh-century church and ancient grottos. History Saint-Nicholas Church The construction of Saint-Nicholas church started in the eleventh century and ended in the twelfth under the initiative of the abbey of Saint Germain-des-Prés. The church served as a parish for the neighboring towns of Médan and Flacourt. In the hundred years' war the church was partially destroyed leaving the apse and the transept in ruins. In the eighteenth century, the church was associated with the Coulombs en Eure et Loir abbey and major renovations began. A complete restoration was initiated in 1717. In 1926, Saint-Nicholas church was declared a national monument. Between 1978 and 1994, the church was restored again with financing from the state, the department, the region, the commune as well as the association of the restoration and safeguard of church. World War I Armed forces in Villennes-sur-Seine The Railroad Guards Commonly referred to as the G.V.C. (Gardes des Voies de Communication), soldiers were stationed in Villennes-sur-Seine to protect the railroad. The military garrison was composed of 25 men who needed lodging and food. The restaurant owners of the town were requisitioned to feed the soldiers three meals a day, each consisting of 400g of bread, 100g of meat served with vegetables and wine for two francs per day per soldier. Seeing that the restaurant owners at the time couldn't afford to feed the whole garrison, the mayor at the time, Alfred Laumonier wrote to the state asking the restaurant owners be paid back in full. In November 2014, apartments in Villennes-sur-Seine were allotted to the G.V.C. with heating and living costs paid by the town. Eventually, the commune was unable to pay and had to ask residents to provide wood to heat the apartments. The Infantry Regime The presence of the first and second companies of the 286th infantry regime in Villennes-sur-Seine disturbed daily life starting in July 1915. The general of the infantry was housed in the Château d'Aqueville while the soldiers stayed with townsfolk on straw or in empty houses. According to a law written in 1877, homeowners hosting soldiers were obligated to provide 850g of wood to each soldier. This law would be the cause of overworking for many