Grand piazza ceded to Poland - Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy 229
What and Why
After the War of the Polish Succession in mid-18th century CE, the Duchy of Upper Lorraine (French: Duché de Haute-Lorraine), in which Nancy was the capital, was given to Stanisław I Leszczyński, former ruler of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Latin: Regnum Poloniae Magnusque Ducatus Lithuaniae) and father-in-law to King Louis XV (né Louis de Bourbon) of France. During that time, there was a lot of artists and architects at Leszczyński's disposal, as the place was ravaged by war and the previous monarch had imported lots of these art talents to assist in the recuperation. The place set a major benchmark in French architecture and also modern urban planning, and no one can deny that Place Stanislas is one of the most beautiful piazzas in the world.
Toponymy
The name Nancy is first attested as Nanciacus, possibly from a Gaulish personal name.
See
Place Stanislas
As in Wikipedia, Place Stanislas was a major project in urban planning as a way to link the mediaeval old town of Nancy and the new town built in the 17th century CE under Charles III, Duke of Lorraine. The square was originally intended as a place royale to honour Leszczyński's son-in-law, Louis XV. The design created a large urban square that linked two existing handsome buildings: the city hall (hôtel de ville) and the government office (hôtel du gouvernement), the seat of the duchy. The seat of city government and the seat of Ducal government thus faced each other as complements through a series of rational, symmetrical but varied urban spaces, unequalled in Europe at the time.
The square and the surrounding buildings, unified by their colossal orders, were designed by the royal architect Emmanuel Héré de Corny. A bronze statue of Louis XV that was erected in the centre of the square but was removed during the peak of the French Revolution. The square was renamed 'Place du Peuple', and later 'Place Napoléon'. It was only in 1831 CE, a bronze statue of Stanisław Leszczyński (Stanislas Leszczyński) was placed in the middle of the square; since then it has been known as the 'Place Stanislas'.
Porte Héré
The connexion to the Place de la Carrière. Emmanuel Héré de Corny built this and is subsquently name to commemorate him.
Place de la Carrière
The facade of the 'new' side of Nancy begins with the Place de la Carrière.
Place d'Alliance
The name of the square commemorates the Treaty of Versailles between France and Austria of mid-18th century CE.
Located in the new part of Nancy , the place is designed with the same spirit with urban complex classical style desired by Leszczyński. The central fountain, the double row of lime trees, and the sober mansions lining give the place a calm and austere atmosphere.
Eat and Drink
Quiche Lorraine
Madeleine
The other very famous confectionery is the madeleine, which was invented by one of Leszczyński's imperial cooks. The cake was so well-loved by the king that he named it after the cook Madeleine Paulmier.
Getting There and Around
Easy by train, the entire site is fairly small and is walkable. Spend a good afternoon walking in the town.
UNESCO Inscription
Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom – Stanislas Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine – is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of a modern capital where an enlightened monarch proved to be sensitive to the needs of the public. Built between 1752 and 1756 by a brilliant team led by the architect Héré, this was a carefully conceived project that succeeded in creating a capital that not only enhanced the sovereign's prestige but was also functional.
References
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