Stanislas Square (Pt 1)

Of all the must-see attractions in Nancy, this is undoubtedly the most iconic. Beloved by the people of Nancy and even more so by the people of Lorraine, Place Stanislas is the city’s crown jewel. In fact, it’s probably one of the main reasons, if not the main one, that brought you to the ducal city. So, as a reward for your journey to experience it firsthand, let’s dive into its story. Telling the tale of Place Stanislas inevitably brings us to one man: its founder, Stanislas Leszczynski, former King of Poland. After a series of misfortunes in his homeland, Stanislas arrived in Nancy around 1737, just as his daughter, Marie, was about to marry Louis XV, the King of France. This was followed by another piece of good news for Stanislas—thanks to his son-in-law, he was soon made the Duke of Lorraine. With a generous income provided by Louis XV, the Polish nobleman embarked on numerous charitable projects, championed art and culture, and, above all, envisioned bold architectural developments for his new home city. Stanislas was determined to unite Nancy, which at the time was split between the medieval Old Town in the North and the New Town in the South. To him, this divide couldn’t last. In 1751, he summoned Nicolas Durival, Nancy’s Lieutenant of Police, to announce his plan for a new square. After some adjustments to the initial plans, construction began on March 18, 1752. A visionary and passionate urban planner, Stanislas entrusted his chief architect, Emmanuel Héré, with the task and employed up to 400 workers to bring his grand vision to life. Money, manpower, and resources were poured into this beautification project, which had two main goals: to create a grand space for gatherings and administrative activities and to honor Louis XV in the best way possible. One example of this was the impressive bronze statue of Louis XV, weighing 7,500 kilograms and standing 4.66 meters tall, placed at the center of the square. This statue was removed during the French Revolution, when all royal symbols were destroyed, but it was replaced by one of Stanislas in 1831. Inaugurated with great fanfare on November 26, 1755, Place Stanislas has since remained the heart and soul of the city. Spanning 1.31 hectares, it features classical pavilions, majestic fountains designed by Barthélemy Guibal, and monumental golden railings crafted by Jean Lamour, a former Lorraine locksmith and ironworker. Thanks to these gilded gates, Nancy earned its nickname as the “city of golden gates.” A remarkable historical and architectural legacy left by Stanislas Leszczynski, Place Stanislas has, unsurprisingly, been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.