Discover a magic french site
The fountain of Neptune, god of the sea, by Barthélémy Guibal (1755). In the center Neptune recognizable by his trident. He is accompanied by tritons and putti. One of the children, on the right, is crying because he is pinched by a lobster (which has disappeared since the construction of the fountain in 1755). Wine was poured into this fountain on the day of the inauguration of the Place (royal at the time) on November 27, 1755 (photo Shutterstock).
A "World Heritage" site
The Age of Enlightenment has left one of its most beautiful legacies in Nancy, in the land of Lorraine: the ensemble consisting of Place Carrière, Place d'Alliance and Place Stanislas. These three squares were classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1983, the same year as the romantic Taj-Mahal and even, when you think about it, a few years before the Chinese Wall. Three squares then. The Place de la Carrière, a long square, ending with the Government Palace and its beautiful colonnade, delightful in the winter mist, which offers you such a trip back in time that you would be surprised to see a coach.
The Place de la Carrière. Much older than the Place Stanislas but whose facades, which dated from the Renaissance, were covered with facades XVIIIe at the time of the construction of the Place Stanislas. At the end, the government palace. Photo by Pete Stuart/shutterstock
The Place d'Alliance, smaller, square, and whose fountain dedicated to the astonishing alliance of France and Austria remembers to have seen many destinies in a hurry to be accomplished.
Alliance Square and its central monument dedicated to the Franco-Austrian Alliance. Photo by Leonid Andronov/shutterstock
And finally. And I was going to say, above all, there is the Place Stanislas. And talking about it is the most difficult part of writing when I have the honor of describing my city. When you know this place, when you love it with all your heart because it is beautiful and you have many memories charged with emotion, you would like to bring together the orpheon of all the beautiful words you know and chisel them to describe the Wonder of Nancy.
The most beautiful square in the world
Stanislas Square: magical by night / Photo by HUANG Zheng/shutterstock
Take inventory in your mind, and you will see that I am right... Saint Mark's Square in Venice? Sublime... But where are the wrought iron volutes? The Place de la Concorde in Paris? But where is the calm? Where are the terraces? Look for it and you will see that, because it is small (and therefore human-sized) but majestic (with its symmetrical facades), elegant (even in the smallest sculptures) and completely crazy (with all those golden volutes): this square is the most beautiful in the world.
A magical place
And one could be discouraged when describing it and decide to leave the keyboard and the letters there to go and offer a small coffee, one morning very early, when it is empty and when one can savor the play of lights of the sun on the white stones. To smell the air of time while watching the sun bursting to light these gildings that a breath of gold seems to have delicately put on the volutes of wrought iron. When you enter the square, you are impressed by the nobility of the two-storey facades that look like they came straight from Versailles, but with an extra touch: the wrought iron volutes gilded with gold leaf.
Wrought iron grills are everywhere: they adorn the entrances, the fountains, they are also on the lampposts of the facades designed by the architect Emmanuel Héré. They were made by the locksmith Jean Lamour in 1755.(Photo by Shutterstock).
They adorn all the balconies of the countless windows and they form beautiful doors at the four corners of the square. And they too have something extra. They are not only beautiful, they are sublimated by the gold leaves which makes them dazzling in summer and glittering at the slightest drop of rain. Elegant street lamps recall the gold of the grills. Further on, statuesque Neptune, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, his wife, murmur in the water, wondering if they will be able to embrace each other one day.
The Héré Arch. Inspired by the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome (like the Caroussel in the Louvre in Paris). Photo by Pete Stuart/shutterstock
The crowning glory of the square is the Héré Arch, topped by a golden fame that blows its trumpet to express its happiness of living in Nancy. The Opéra National de Lorraine plays host to the world's greatest talents, the Musée des Beaux-Arts dazzles aesthetes with works by Delacroix, Claude Gelée, known as "Le Lorrain", the brilliant Emile Friant and Caravaggio, as well as the most beautiful and sublime "Daum" collection of crystal and pâte de verre, which is the result of the incredible know-how of the Lorraine glassmakers.
the lovers realized in 1888 by Emile Friant (1863 - 1932)
The Acropolis of Nancy
This square is the heart of the city, as the Acropolis is for Athens. It is even the symbol of Nancy. It has literally seen history pass by since it was inaugurated in 1755 with the quiet steps of King Stanislas, who is now enthroned in the middle of his great work, and it is thanks to his will that we owe the Marvel. Since 1755, the year of her birth, she has seen Mozart having a coffee and telling her father how beautiful the city of Nancy was, she has seen the statue of Louis XV that adorned it destroyed, hot air balloons take off (and one of them still hangs on the facade of the Grand Hôtel de la reine). It has also seen German planes from the Great War taken from the enemy being exposed in the middle and raising the morale of the inhabitants of the city regularly bombed. The Place Stanislas also saw Patton liberating Nancy, de Gaulle coming to celebrate the return of Peace, Churchill making some steps. The Queen Mum of England also came to marvel at the gilding, although she had seen so much. The Pope himself, John Paul II, took a full tour in the papamobile in the 1980s.
The place where the City meets
Le 11 janvier 2015 la manifestation "je suis Charlie" Place Stanislas / photo Monsieur de France (c)
It is also in the square that we collectively celebrate moments of joy. Yesterday's armistices, the Liberation, but also the great sporting victories, recently the victories of the blue team in 1998 and 2018, but also the League Cup won by the ASNL or the European victories of SLUC Nancy Basket. We also share the pain. This is where we met during the Paris attacks, silently marching or, on the contrary, roaring a Marseillaise full of love for freedom and for the France to which Nancy is proud to belong. This is the Place Stanislas. The acropolis of Nancy.
There is nothing more pleasant than a little drink on one of the terraces, after a hot summer night, when the coolness reaches the Place Stanislas adorned with its night colors... Photo by Shutterstock
The Place Stan' of Nancy's inhabitants
But it is also a theater. If there is a place that brings together the inhabitants of the Metropolis of Greater Nancy, it is the "Place Stan" as we say by "apocope", in other words in short. There are very few inhabitants of the city's communes who don't pass by at least once a year, whether they are shopping, taking their children to see the Great Saint-Nicolas or simply taking a walk. And if you feel like sitting down in one of the beautiful cafés of the Place, you can watch this merry-go-round that is... Life!
Tourists and Nancy residents always meet on the Place Stanislas (the heart of Nancy) Julia Kuznetsova/shutterstock
Such a young man who has just turned around because he was amazed by the beauty of such a pretty woman. Such a pretty couple walking around like other couples before him, notably that of Auguste Bartholdi, the father of the Statue of Liberty or the Lion of Belfort, who found love here while visiting friends. He left with a wife, Emilie, who is said to have given his face to one of the most famous monuments in the world. We rejoice with the students in the evening (there are thousands of them in Nancy). We are moved by the sight of a child trotting towards the fountains, so tempting to wade. Such an old lady who takes her time to cross the place she has seen so much and which reminds her of so many memories. Such an old man whose walk reminds a little of Abbé Pierre's who was a deputy of Nancy before becoming the voice of the poor in his country. Thousands of destinies in a hurry to accomplish themselves have passed through here. Some have made the sciences or the arts shine, such as Charlélie Couture, the artists who have come to perform at the NJP or on our stages... Others have been involved in books, such as the hundreds of authors who come every year to share their passion during the Livre sur la Place, alongside Philippe Claudel, a Lorrain member of the Goncourt Academy, like those who founded it: the famous Goncourt brothers, or in sports, such as Michel Platini who started his career here. If some of these destinies have been glorious, the most numerous have remained anonymous for the Great History, constituting this magnificent weft that is the long march of humanity since the dawn of time, but they have been essential in the lives of men and women.
Each of these destinies has had its moment here, for an hour, a day or years, on the most beautiful square in the world. It's up to you to come and live yours
What to see on Place Stanislas in Nancy
Some information.
The square is quite small: 106 by 124 meters (which puts it far in size from the Place de la Concorde in Paris or the Place Saint-Marc in Venice). It is due to the will of Stanislas Leszcynski (1677 - 1766) king of Poland, duke of Lorraine and bar for life. You will discover the history of the Place Stanislas a few lines below, but remember that it was built from 1752 to 1755. Only the facades and the gates were made. The buildings were built afterwards, modified over time. The plans are by the architect Emmanuel Héré (1705-1763), the ironwork is signed Jean Lamour (1698-1771), the fountains are by Barthélémy Guibal (1699-1757) as well as some of the stone statues that adorn the facades. There are 5 large buildings: the town hall (the largest), and 4 pavilions (whose names and functions you will discover below). A part of the square is constituted of "basses-faces", with only one floor, to allow the military to shoot from the ramparts (located behind the square and largely disappeared) in case of war. Further on, the "trottoirs" or rue Héré leads to the Arc de Triomphe. The square was for a long time a place of passage in the middle of the city (first by horse, then by car), it served as a place for military parades, for the flight of hot air balloons. It was also a parking lot before becoming pedestrian in 2005 during the metamorphosis of the square. Ready to visit? Let's go !
The grids
We owe them to the genius of Jean Lamour (1698-1771). He was a wrought iron worker (and also a locksmith and a manufacturer of street lamps...). They are gilded with gold leaf so that at the slightest lightning, or after a rain, they shine and give a lot of nobility, but also a little bit of madness, to the Stanislas square. They are made of wrought iron. There are 6 sets on the square, including two monumental ones around the fountains. About the grills, remember also to look at the streetlights. Those on the facades were born at the same time as the Place. They are also very French since they are Gallic roosters, symbols of "vigilance". Other lampposts, on the square this time, were added at the end of the 19th century, keeping the spirit of the older ones, which gives a lot of allure to the place when the evening comes...
One of the gates of Jean Lamour on the Stanislas square in Nancy / Photo Monsieur de France (c)
If you look closely at the gates, you will see intertwined L's and S's, which is normal since the Place Stanislas is entirely dedicated to France and to King Louis XV, Stanislas' son-in-law. The "royal" square is its first name was made to remind the people of Lorraine that at the death of King Stanislas, Lorraine would become French. So we see the L of Louis XV intertwined with the S of Stanislas (which is amusing when we know that Louis XV could not stand his father-in-law who he found too whimsical and a bit of a loser). We also see royal crowns above some doors (the crown of France) and the fleur-de-lys emblem of the kings of France.
The fountains
They are the work of Barthélémy Guibal (1699 - 1757), a native of Nimes in the south of France, who ended his life in Lorraine. He also realized all the trophies that crown the buildings of the square. Look at them with pleasure, there is not one that looks like the other. You can see many little "puttis" of children who are busy. Some are chatting, others are looking at the passers-by...
The Neptune fountain of the Place Stanislas in Nancy / Photo shutterstock
There are two fountains. On the left of the Héré Arch, we recognize Neptune, god of the sea (easy to recognize him he has a trident). We also see some newts, and a little kid crying. It's normal, originally a lobster was biting his finger (it has disappeared since but the kid is still crying). Above the fountain (and this is also the case for the other fountain) you can see the full arms of France with the three golden fleurs-de-lis on an azure background, the order of the Holy Spirit (ended by a cross and a dove) and the order of Saint Michael, the two great orders of chivalry of the French crown.
The Amphitrite Fountain on Place Stanislas in Nancy / Photo chosen by Monsieur de France: milosk50/Shutterstock.
To the right of the Héré Arch is the fountain of Amphitrite, goddess of the Sea. She was surrounded by two groups like her husband, Neptune, but they were removed when it was decided to open an access to the Pépinière, which became a public park at the end of the 19th century. It is known that the statue, stripped naked, shocked the chaplain of Stanislas. Some say that the body of the goddess would have been molded on that of the Marquise de Boufflers, royal mistress of Stanislas, whose breast would be seen, consequently...
The Héré Arch
It is the crowning glory of the Place Stanislas. It is very inspired by the Arch of Triumph of Septimius Severus in Rome and the Carrousel of the Louvre. It was created to allow a passage through the ramparts that were there and that explains its great width and the arches that we find inside. In the 19th century, it was possible to reach the Parc de la Pépinière by passing through the Héré Arch.
The Héré arch of the Place Stanislas in Nancy. Photo chosen by Monsieurdefrance.Fr : shutterstock
It is magnificent. It is dedicated to Louis XV who appears in a medallion at the top. It consists of 3 doors. Above the left door, is inscribed "principi victori" (the victorious prince) and above the right door is inscribed "principi pacifico" (the prince of peace). Above the door are plaques representing the god Apollo (who plays the Lyre with the muses). They were made when Louis XIV wanted to annex Nancy in the XVIIth century and have been re-used here (we don't spoil anything!)
Above again, some statues. On the left there are Ceres and Minerva, on the right there are Mars (god of war) and Hercules (you can recognize him by the mace he is holding carelessly). And to crown it all, there is an acroterion (a rather ugly word, it's true) that is to say a group of three statues: Minerva on the left, on the right, it's Peace, and the one with a trumpet, it's Fama, goddess of glory, also called "the Renown" and who blows in her trumpet the fame of Louis XV who is represented in the medallion that the three goddesses are supporting (he is easily recognizable with his nose so typical of the Bourbon family). Stolen in the 80's, the trumpet has been replaced.
The top of the Héré Arch, with the medallion of Louis XV and the Renommée. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.fr : Shutterstock
The Héré Arch is preceded by the rue Héré (and the stores are nice, especially the Daum store which presents marvels of glass paste born from the hands of Nancy's master glassmakers). This street was called "trottoirs Héré" for a long time because these sidewalks, which allowed pedestrians to avoid getting their feet stuck in the mud of the streets, or in the horses' dung, were a great novelty in 1755.
The Statue of Stanislas
The statue of Stanislas since 1831 in the center of the Place Stanislas in Nancy. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.fr: RossHelen/shutterstock
Famous statue that all Nancy residents know. It is often used as a meeting point. But be careful, the base is so big that you can arrive at a place and miss the person waiting for you on the other side. Many of us waited for a while before seeing each other so I advise you to go around. It dates from 1831.
It replaced several statues. The first was that of Louis XV, to whom the square was dedicated at the beginning of its construction in 1755. He was represented as a Roman emperor, looking towards Paris and brandishing a staff of command towards... The hotel of the taxes (hotel of the farms at the time). At his feet, four virtues sat, leaning on the steps, looking at him (like groupies). One could see prudence, justice, value and caution.
The Statue of Louis XV originally located on the square at the time of its creation in 1755. By Dominique Collin - Archives municipales de Nancy Cote 3 Fi 141 Domaine public, https://commons.wikimedia.org
The statue was surrounded by a gate that was dismantled after the Second World War when a portal was created and that was never put back. This statue (which was 7500 kg of bronze!) was destroyed by the French Revolution and replaced by revolutionary spikes before it was decided to install "the genius of France", in this case a woman brandishing a laurel crown.
Finally, in 1831, when it was decided to name the square "Place Stanislas" (it had been Place Louis XV, Place du Peuple, Place Napoléon...) in homage to the one who wanted it, King Stanislas, it was decided to install a statue there. It was made by Georges Jacquot, a young sculptor who proposed two versions. One version of Stanislas as a warrior. The other is the one we know. We see the king adorned with his royal coat. Next to him the royal crown. On the pedestal, we recall some of the good deeds that made him a man very much loved by the people of Lorraine, even though he came from elsewhere and was imposed on them by France.
The statue of Stanislas by Georges JACQUOT on the Place Stanislas in Nancy since 1831. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.fr: inavanhateren/shutterstock
The statue weighs 5,400 kg of bronze, which is regularly waxed. It is 4.13 meters high. For a long time it was said that Stanislaus was pointing in the direction of his native country, Poland. In fact, he is pointing to the medallion of Louis XV to remind us that he had the place made for his son-in-law. The finger is very long, like E.T., when you see it up close, but it is to allow you to see the gesture from afar, that it was lengthened by the sculptor whose work has been here since November 6, 1831.
The city hall
It is easy to recognize since it is the largest building and it is also the one that Stanislas will never see since it turns its back to him. The city hall was for a long time located on the right side, while the left side was a private mansion, the two being connected by the facade that can be seen from the square. In 1890, the Rouerke Hotel was demolished to make a single building (which was enlarged at the back in the 1950s). The old city hall, located on the Place Charles III, was destroyed at the time of the construction of the one we know today.
The facade of the town hall of Nancy, decorated with flags on the major national holidays (July 14, May 8 ...) but also to mark events (support for a cause ... )Sina Ettmer Photography/Shutterstock.com
From outside and from top to bottom, we see first a clock, topped by 3 flags: the French flag (it is the town hall), the Lorrain flag (yellow with a red stripe struck by three white alerions) and the European flag. The clock is surrounded by justice on the left and prudence on the right. On the pediment, under the clock, are the arms of King Stanislas to whom we owe the building and the square (he offered the square and the town hall to the municipality of Nancy at the inauguration). Further down, a woman (perhaps Nancy?) holds the coat of arms of the city of Nancy composed of the arms of the dukes of Lorraine and Bar at the top (it was their capital.) and the famous thistle, emblem of the city whose motto is: whoever rubs it spikes it in memory of the battle of Nancy, in 1477, and the defeat and death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who wanted to annex Nancy and Lorraine to his states. Finally, we find the arms of Stanislas, this time gilded, on the central balcony.
The pediment of the city hall with justice on the left and caution on the right. photo by Khun Ta/shutterstock
Inside, we discover the peristyle and its columns, the main staircase whose railing is due to the ironworker Jean Lamour and the paintings (trompe-l'oeil and ceilings) to Jean Girardet (1707 - 1778). On the second floor, the Salon Carré (or Salon de l'Académie because the Academy of Stanislas sat there and still gives its prizes), is the only room that Stanislas knew. Here again Jean Girardet made the paintings (not very successful by the way). We see Stanislas driving the chariot of Apollo, God of the arts. After the square room, we discover "the great rooms" which date from 1866 and the centenary of the union of France and Lorraine. They are represented on the ceiling by Aimé Morot. It is said that the painter gave Lorraine, who is seen naked and from behind, the features of his mistress, after learning that she "shared" him with another and having decided that since another also saw him, all of Nancy might as well see the backside of the lady ... Elegant eh! You can also see the coat of arms of the city of Nancy and the balconies where the orchestras played during the gala evenings. Magnificent paintings by Emile Friant, on the different ages of life, adorned the walls for a long time before being moved to the museum of fine arts and replaced by mirrors).
The Jacquet Pavilion
Located to the right of the city hall. It is a private building since the origin. It belonged to Mr. Jacquet, one of the first owners of land on the square in 1755. It was for a long time a fashion store. Two cafés occupy the first floor, the Café du Commerce on the right, and the Grand Café Foy on the left. It is named after Maximilien-Sebastien Foy (1775-1825), a general of the Empire, whose bust is inside.
The museum of fine arts
When the place was created, the students of the College of Medicine studied there. Then the pavilion became the municipal theater (you can see a lot of comedy masks in the entrance, which reminds its former function). A fire destroyed the Comédie in 1906 and the Musée des beaux-arts, first located in the town hall, was installed there in 1936 after works. It was expanded in 1999.
The Annunciation by Caravaggio (between 1608 and 1610). Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy
It has several original features. First, many works that belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine are included in the collections, such as the Annunciation by Caravaggio, purchased by Duke Henry II of Lorraine and Bar in the early 17th century. Then, it offers a beautiful presentation of Lorraine artists with rare paintings signed Claude Gelée called "Le Lorrain" (born in Chamagne in the Vosges in 1600), a very beautiful collection of engravings signed by Jacques Callot (1592-1635) born in Nancy, magnificent works of Emile Friant (for example: the All Saints' Day) or of Victor Prouvé.
Emile Friant / Self-portrait 1888. Nancy Museum of Fine Arts
Finally, you should not miss the largest Daum collection in the world. Pieces" in crystal or glass paste made during more than 150 years by the Daum factory in Nancy. You can make magnificent photos.
The Grand Hôtel de la Reine - Alliot Pavilion
It is located to the left of the City Hall. It is a very pleasant hotel, with royal salons that allow you to give receptions while admiring the most beautiful square in the world. It is the ideal spot, in good weather, to have a drink on the terrace since it is the place that is sunny the longest on the square. It is called "Grand hôtel de la Reine" because Marie-Antoinette stayed there for a few hours in 1769 to listen to poetry on her way to marry the future Louis XVI. It should be noted that Marie-Antoinette was a Lorraine by her father, François I (François III of Lorraine), born in the castle of Lunéville and descendant of the dukes of Lorraine who had Nancy as their capital and who rest in the crypt of the round chapel in the Cordeliers church. For a long time, it was the intendance hotel (a kind of prefecture), but it was also a private building.
Hubert Lyautey by Eugène Pirou (1841-1909) in Histoire de la Marine française illustrée, Larousse, 1934.
It was on the balcony of the Grand Hôtel that Hubert Lyautey's life changed. In May 1856, when he was 18 months old and in the arms of his nanny, she, wanting to greet her man who was marching in the square with other soldiers, dropped him. The child had to stay in bed for 2 years, and he wore an iron corset for more than 10 years. This impediment to movement and sport was the reason for Lyautey's military genius. Little Hubert spent hours, sitting or lying in bed, reading books about history and the army, which gave him a passion for arms. This passion and a great intelligence made him a great marshal (his national funeral took place in Nancy in the presence of the President of the Republic and many foreign representatives). It is also because he could not do sports when he was a child that Marshal Lyautey was very involved in the foundation of scouting in France. Passionate about Morocco, of which he was governor, he had some very beautiful Moroccan pieces installed in his castle of Thorey Lyautey, 40 km from Nancy near the hill of Sion. Il repose aux Invalides à Paris.
On the left the Opéra National de Lorraine on the right the Grand Hôtel de la Reine / wsf-s/shutterstock.com
The National Opera of Lorraine.
It is located in what was a kind of tax office at the time of the construction of the Place Stanislas in 1755. It became the seat of the bishopric of Nancy in 1802, and was completely destroyed in 1909 except for the facade which is still the one that Stanislas knew. Behind this facade, for 10 years, gigantic works allowed the construction of a magnificent "Italian-style" opera house whose red, white and gold decorations perfectly match the Place Stanislas, so much so that one could imagine them being built at the same time, even though they are a little over 100 years old. There are also some small notes of art-nouveau, and even art deco in the mosaics. Inaugurated on October 14, 1919, with 1050 seats, it resounds with multiple talents and is one of the most renowned in France.
Discover the program of the Opéra National de Lorraine here.
The Low Sides
This is the name given to the one-story buildings between the fountains and rue Héré. These buildings were not supposed to exist in the beginning because the Maréchal de Belle-Isle, governor of the Trois-Evêchés and military governor of Lorraine, wanted to be able to use the ramparts that were behind them to bombard if an enemy took over the area. Stanislas had to insist a lot and they finally cut the pear in two. The buildings along the ramparts would not have two floors like the other buildings, but only one and in the form of mansards. It was in these "basses faces" that the first "cafés" of Nancy were installed, so named because they served... Coffee.
The lower sides are the buildings seen in the background of the photo of the Place Stanislas in Nancy. Photo Pete Stuart/shutterstock
It was at the table of one of these cafés that Mozart sat down to write to his father during a trip to Paris. A letter in which he speaks with pleasure of "the beauty of the streets and squares of Nancy". It was at the end of one of these cafés that Bartholdi, the father of the Statue of Liberty, met his wife: Emilie Baheux de Puysieux. It is said that he gave his features to the most famous Statue in the world... Finally, it was at the Jean Lamour, to the left of the Héré Arch, that the legendary brasserie "Chez Walter" was located. It occupied the entire left side of the basses-faces and was one of the most famous brasseries in Eastern France. The King of Cambodia, Presidents of the Republic and all the stars of the Belle Epoque were served there.
Nancy likes to party on the most beautiful square in the world / photo by Roman Samborskyi/shutterstock
This part of the square is very festive with brasseries, huge terraces, night bars and even a discotheque that allow you to spend a good time with friends or to party (we say "la chouille" here) in Nancy. There are a lot of young people and it's normal in an agglomeration where for 1000 inhabitants, there are 200 students.
To visit the UNESCO complex is to see :
It would be a pity to limit yourself to the Stanislas square. Since 1983, Nancy has been classified as a "World Heritage Site", and the whole 18th century complex is included. And you will see that each of the three squares has a charm all its own and that a visit is absolutely necessary. In addition to the Place Stanislas, you must see
The Place de la Carrière:
It is much older than the Place Stanislas. It was created by the will of the Duchess of Lorraine Chrétienne de Danemark when the ramparts of the old city were enlarged. She proposed to clear a large esplanade, which was called Rue Neuve for a long time, before becoming the Place de la Carrière because tournaments were held there (jousting on horseback, ring games...) and here, by chaining victories, the champions made their careers.
It was Emmanuel Héré, the architect of the Place Stanislas, who gave it its current appearance, inspired by the Hôtel de Beauvau (now the Court of Appeal), located on your right when you arrive from the Place Stanislas, and which was built by Germain Boffrand, architect of the Château de Lunéville and the Château de Haroué, and of whom Héré was a student. As the other houses already existed, Héré had new facades placed on the old ones.
At the end of the square, two private mansions close the Charles de Gaulle Hemicycle. This hemicycle has two doors, one towards the city, the other towards the park of "la pépinière" and which are surmounted by trophies of defeated and chained enemies (which is quite amusing when you know that Stanislas never won a single battle in his life).
The Government Palace on the Place de la Carrière in Nancy / Photo Pete Stuart/shutterstock.com
The square is closed by the Government Palace because it was for a long time the home of the military government of Nancy, which was very important, especially during the Annexation, which, by taking Alsace and Moselle from France in 1871, made Nancy the military capital of the East of the country. Great characters such as Generals Foch and Castelnau passed through the city during the First World War. Marshal de Mac-Mahon, who later became President of the Republic, also lived in this prestigious place which was, for a time, the prefecture of the Meurthe department, which disappeared in 1871, and whose coat of arms of the cities that made it up can be seen in the Grand Salon. One can also see a magnificent staircase of honor realized by Jean Lamour, the ironworker of the Place Stanislas, and an astonishing altar hidden in a wall of the white room. Finally, it is in this palace that you will find an Art Nouveau treasure: Foch's desk, made by Louis Majorelle.
It is on the Place de la Carrière that "le Livre sur la Place" takes place, the first book fair of the literary season and one of the most important in France. More than 100,000 people come to meet more than 400 authors around September 10th.
The people of Nancy say "la place carrière" and "le palais du gouverneur", so don't be surprised if you ask for directions.
The Place d'Alliance
The Place d'Alliance monument in Nancy / Photo Shutterstock.com
This is the smallest of the three squares classified by UNESCO with 80 meters by 60 meters. Built on the site of the vegetable garden of the Dukes of Lorraine, it was called Place Saint Stanislas before changing its name to become Place d'Alliance, as the monument in its center reminds us. It was designed by Paul-Louis Cyfflé to celebrate the unexpected alliance in 1756 between the long-standing enemies of the Kingdom of France and the Austrian Empire, who became allies in that year. We see three old men who represent three rivers of Europe: the Scheldt, the Meuse and the Rhine. The whole is surmounted by a small putti who blows in his trumpet the good news.
It is rather austere but very delicate. The author Maurice Barrès (1862-1923) speaks about it with much accuracy in "Colette Baudoche" and he writes: "the small place of Alliance, solitary and taciturn, where the jet of water in the square of the lime trees exhales a kind of melancholy" "Many autumns have piled up with the leaves of these old trees, on the Lorraine source, and yet near the Fountain of Cyfflé, one always hears our regrets dripping. The memory of these times of yesteryear could not erase ".
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Behind the Place Stanislas, there is the green lung of Nancy: the Parc de la Pépinière. Created by Stanislas in 1765, it is so named because at first, closed to the public, it was used to grow trees to be installed along the roadsides. It covers 21.7 hectares. There are remarkable trees, a magnificent rose garden, an animal park, sports facilities and even a real work by Rodin representing Claude Gelée, known as "Le Lorrain". It's a nice place that "la pep'" as the Nancy people say. You can sit there, walk around, and have a drink. You can also meet a lot of joggers there and it is the place where high school and university students revise at the end of the school year.
There are only 2 bandstands like the one at the Pépinière in Nancy. One in Germany, the other here in Nancy. Photo by Gerald Mayer/shutterstock.
Not far from the Place Stanislas is the Caserne Thiry, built between 1765 and 1769 on the plans of Richard Mique (the architect of the Hameau de la Reine in Versailles). Stanislas appears on the pediment, dressed in armor.
You should also make a detour to see two other beautiful ideas of Richard Mique: the Porte Sainte Catherine (at the end of the rue Sainte Catherine) dedicated to Stanislas' wife, Catherine Opalinska, and on which are represented Apollo and the 9 muses. Similarly, its counterpart, the Saint Stanislas gate, located near the Nancy train station, displays the god of the arts and the muses.
The history of the Place Stanislas
A king arrived by chance
Portrait of Stanislas by Van Loo (Palace of Versailles).
Stanislas Leszcynski (1677 - 1766) was born in Lviv in the present Ukraine, which was in the kingdom of Poland at the time. The monarchy of Poland was elective at that time, 40 000 nobles gathered in a vast plain and elected a king, often from abroad so as not to favor this or that family. Stanislaus was elected king under pressure from King Charles XII of Sweden and was driven from the throne by the Russians before being forced into exile. France offered him shelter in Alsace. It was there that emissaries from Versailles came to Stanislaus to inform him that his daughter, Marie, was chosen to marry the French king Louis XV. It must be said that Louis XV, 15 years old at the time, was the only living French descendant of Louis XIV, whose great-grandson he was. If he died, it would be a king of Spain who would become king of France. So, in order to have children quickly, the Duke of Bourbon, his Prime Minister, decided to marry him quickly to a woman who was able to have children right away. A list of 99 princesses was established, Marie Leszczynska (1706 - 1768) was the last one. It must be said that unlike the other princesses, she was not Protestant, not Orthodox, but Catholic, not a member of a French family that would have been too much raised by having a queen among its own. The marriage made (and the couple had 10 children.), first Chambord was offered to Stanislaus, and then, during the war of Polish succession, France tried to put him back on the Polish throne. Without success.
Marie Leszczynska queen of France, wife of Louis XV and daughter of Stanislas by Van Loo (Versailles).
The Duchy of Lorraine was independent at that time. Its holder, François III Etienne de Lorraine (1708-1765) wished to marry the future empress Maria Theresa of Austria. It must be said that the young girl was crazy about the Duke of Lorraine and that he could become Emperor. Except that France could not tolerate that the Duchy of Lorraine, so close to Paris, became Austrian land in the long term, especially since Austria was the hereditary enemy of France. To unblock the situation, a solution was found. Francis III of Lorraine could marry Maria Theresa if he renounced his rights over Lorraine. Lorraine would be given to Stanislas who would keep the honorary title of king and become duke of Lorraine and Bar for life. At his death, Lorraine would become French. This is exactly what happened. Arriving in Lorraine in 1737, Stanislas reigned over Lorraine until February 1766. At his death, ipso facto, the duchies of Lorraine and Bar were united to the Crown of France. 4
A builder king and the fashion for royal squares
Stanislaus always liked to build. When he was exiled in Zweibrucken, he had an astonishing set of buildings made into a kind of castle called the "tschiflick". When he became king of Poland, he settled in the castle of Lunéville and decorated the park with many beautiful ephemeral buildings, "follies" as they were called at the time. He also built a few castles to reside in. Even if some of them were built in the 17th century, the 18th century was the great period for the construction of royal squares. Rennes had two squares dedicated to the king: the Place de la Mairie and the Place du Parlement. Paris saw the birth of the Concorde. Stanislas thus combined two desires: his desire to build, and the architectural fashion of his time to create a symbol: a royal square dedicated to his son-in-law Louis XV, the future owner of the Duchy of Lorraine and therefore of Nancy. Everything should remind France and it would be in the heart of the capital of the dukes of Lorraine.
A royal square ok but where?
Plan of Nancy at the beginning of the 17th century by Laruelle. We can see the two cities that constitute the Nancy of the time. It is right in the middle that Stanislas built the square, against the ramparts of the old city of Nancy and at the beginning of the new city. Photo Limedia.fr
For a long time, Nancy had this strange originality of being made up of two cities: the old city and the new city. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Duke of Lorraine Charles III wanted to enlarge his capital. Rather than raze the ramparts of the old city, he decided to keep them, and even improve them and build a second city of Nancy, brand new, at the end of the original city. This city, five times larger than the medieval city, was made up of streets intersecting at right angles (a very modern concept at the time.) At the junction between the two cities, at the beginning of the new city and in front of the ramparts of the old city, was a vast esplanade. This is where the square was built. It must be said that several places were mentioned in 1751 when Stanislaus started to think about where he would build his square. Although he was already thinking of building the square on the esplanade, the military told him that the constructions would hide the ramparts and that it would be difficult to defend the old city. He then imagined building it on the central square of the new town, the market square, where the town hall and the court of Nancy were located. The bourgeois of the city protested that it would be too expensive and too much work. Stanislas finally decided. He would build his royal square on the esplanade. It would have the advantage of linking the two cities of Nancy.
A four-year construction site.
On March 18, 1852, the Grand Duke Ossolinski (who shared his wife with Stanislas for a long time) had the honor of laying the foundation stone of the building site. The building site employed 400 workers. Jean Lamour forged his gates a few meters away in the primatial church. The work is quite fast since it takes "only" three and a half years to finish. It must be said that, like all the royal squares, only the facades of many buildings are made, and it is up to those who own the land to build what they want if they do not touch the facades. Changes were made to the original plan. For example, buildings were made with only one small floor along the ramparts so as not to prevent the military from bombing the square if the enemy took it. In the same way, to hide the ditches and ramparts, it was decided to add two semi-circular fountains at the ends of the square. They can even be dismantled if necessary. They are still there.
Stanislas Lesczinski, King of Poland, visiting the workshops of Jean Lamour in Nancy, drawing by Jean Baptiste Bénard in 1755.
The inauguration full of surprises
The Place Royale (as it was called at the time) was inaugurated by Stanislas on the morning of November 26, 1755. The king made a solemn entry into the city through the St. Nicholas Gate. There were 7 carriages in total, which were greeted by a large crowd. On the place, there is a crazy world. In the evening, wine, rather than water, is poured into the brand new fountains. When he reached the square, Stanislas climbed the stairs of Jean Lamour, which is still the one we know, and he reached the balcony to greet the crowd. It is at this moment that a piece of plaster of the ceiling falls. It had dried too quickly. The sound of the fall and the fact that it happened so close to the king caused a start of panic. The guard takes out the weapons, courtiers flee, one of them jumps from the balcony, he will remain wounded and dishonored for having fled the danger. Only Stanislas does not move, on the balcony, happy to contemplate his work.
A story continued after Stanislas.
Terraces on the Place Stanislas: a delight in summer. Photo chosen by Monsieurdefrance.fr: olrat/shutterstock.
The Place Royale is immediately the object of pride of the people of Nancy and many "tourists" come to see it. It will be modified over time. Its name, in particular, evolved according to political events. In 1792, it was no longer called Place Royale, since the Monarchy had disappeared, but Place du Peuple, and the statue of Louis XV was destroyed and melted down in Metz to make cannons. In 1805, it became Place Napoléon. It became again Place Royale in 1814 with the return of the monarchy and finally Place Stanislas in 1831. In the meantime, the fragile ground was modified. In the 19th century, street lamps were added to the ground of the square, 8 of them at the beginning. It is also after 1873, when Nancy becomes a military city of first importance, the privileged place of the military parades. Burned in 1906, the Comédie becomes the Opera and is rebuilt in the place of the bishopric, while a museum of fine arts is installed in the place of the Comédie. 1958 sees it being flattened to make way for a parking lot which remains until 2005, the year of its renovation and the moment when it becomes pedestrian. The terraces become more important. One can sit on the wooden lices. Shows are projected on the facades every year in summer and at Saint-Nicolas.
The Place Stanislas of Nancy : infos / geo / train
GPS address:
1, Place Stanislas 54 000 NANCY
By car
Nancy is located 347 kms from Paris. Department of Meurthe et Moselle (54), historical region of Lorraine and administrative region Grand Est.
It takes about 4 hours to come from Paris via the A4, A5 and A31, or the N4. The city is also 1H15 from Luxembourg, 1H30 from Strasbourg. Parking lots are located not far from the square. For example Place de la Carrière.
By train
Nancy is equipped with a TGV station which puts the city at 1H40 from Paris. There is also the "Lorraine TGV" station located between Nancy and Metz and connected to the TGV network which puts it at 4H00 from Nantes, Rennes, or Bordeaux. A shuttle bus allows you to reach the station of Nancy. From the train station, you have to get out on the Place Simone Veil. The quickest way to get to Place Stanislas on foot is to leave Place Veil on the left, pass under the monumental gate (Porte Stanislas) and walk down the street (Rue Stanislas), until you reach Place... Stanislas. But we advise you to take the Rue Saint Jean instead. The main shopping street of Nancy.
The websites
The official website of Destination Nancy will give you all the information you need for a nice stay in the city. You will find ideas and schedules. It is very well done and we recommend it.
For original guided tours with passionate people and to discover delicacies, think of contacting La madeleine Nancy you will not regret it.
You can also visit the site of Meurthe et Moselle L'esprit Lorraine which will give you ideas to enlarge the visit (Lunéville, Toul, Pont à Mousson and the Colline de Sion are worth a visit).
For a more regional vision there is explore Grand Est.
Schedules and advice
The square is alive all day long. The night bars take over from the cafés and restaurants at night. The best time to enjoy it is early in the morning, with a small coffee. In summer, when it is hot, a light breeze is a pleasure at the time of the aperitif. In summer, at 10:45 pm until August 15 and at 10 pm until mid-September, a 15-minute show is projected on the facades. You can enjoy it for free either sitting on the ground (the place is cleaned every morning) or on the terrace. It is magical. The same thing is proposed in December at the time of the Saint Nicolas.
