Place de la Carrière

Located as an extension of Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière often unfairly stays in its shadow. However, it too has a rich history that deserves to be recognized. Created in the mid-16th century, its establishment was made possible by the expansion of the medieval ramparts surrounding the Old Town. Fresh and new, the square was quickly adopted by the bourgeoisie and nobility of Nancy, who built private mansions and buildings around its entire perimeter. Each structure reflected the individual tastes of its owners, which led to a lack of overall harmony in the urban landscape. The central dirt area, initially used for jousting tournaments and other equestrian events, did little to improve the situation, but it did give the square its name: Place de la Carrière. This term comes from the French expression “donner carrière,” meaning to let a horse run freely. In the 18th century, the square underwent a dramatic transformation under the guidance of Duke Stanislas Leszczynski, a passionate advocate of urban planning. Louis XV’s father-in-law used Place de la Carrière to create a stunning visual axis between the medieval Old Town and the New Town. His personal investment in this project amounted to a considerable 1,833,000 French livres at the time. Two rows of orange trees, later replaced by lime trees, were planted along the sides of the esplanade, while Emmanuel Héré, Stanislas’s chief architect, worked to give the façades a more harmonious appearance. For many residents of Nancy, Place de la Carrière presents two distinct profiles: on the left, a more bourgeois character, and on the right, an aristocratic feel with buildings that overlook the Pépinière Park. By the way, if you have time, take a slight detour through the charming Rue des Écuries, which, as its name suggests,”Street of the Stables”, once housed the ducal stables. With a width of 50 meters and a length of 290 meters, Place de la Carrière is the largest square of its kind in Nancy. Along with Place Stanislas and Place d’Alliance, it forms part of the classical urban ensemble that was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.