Nancy, France

Nancy
Registered Sector: 
Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance in Nancy
Location and site: 
Located in the northeast of France, Nancy is situated on historic terrestrial and river routes. On the north side of the Meurthe River, 10 km. upriver from its junction with the Moselle River, and on the canal linking the Marne and Rhine Rivers, the city is close to rich deposits of iron and rock-salt.
Historical Function: 
Mining and industry.
Administrative Status: 
Chief-city of the Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Historical Reference: 
  • Lorraine, which was attached to the Holy Roman Empire, was established as a Duchy in 1048. In the 12th century, Nancy, formerly a military post on the Route du Nord, became its capital.
  • After taking over Nancy in 1475, Charles le Téméraire (so-named because of his foolhardiness), the Duke of Burgundy, was defeated and then killed by René II, the Duke of Lorraine. This victory ended the threat of Burgundy and led to the modernisation of the Duchy.
  • During the 16th century, Lorraine played an important political and religious role. Duke Charles III created the Ville-Neuve (today the old town), the layout of which was designed by the Italian Jérôme Citoni in 1588.
  • In 1737 Stanislas Leszczynski, the dethroned King of Poland, received the Duchy of Lorraine from Duke Francis, the new emperor and founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine branch. In Nancy, this led to the realisation of architectural and urban masterpieces that ensured the junction of the old and new parts of the town; these included Place Royale (known as Place Stanislas), which was dedicated to Louis XV. The arts and sciences flourished.
  • When King Stanislas died in 1766, Nancy, along with Lorraine, became part of France. The town was the seat of a bishop, and the home of a parliament and an academy.
  • Although subjected to a series of upheavals, in particular in 1789, Place Royale was restored each time.
Urban Morphology: 
The heart of Nancy is defined by three adjacent urban squares. At the limit of the new town and the old town, the alignment of the first two squares opens up a 500 m. long perspective view that creates a sense of harmonious and rational unity. The Triumphal Arch defines the passage and the link between these two squares, which are known as Place de la Carrière and Place Royale; the latter, which is the main centre of the design, is adjacent to the third square, Place d'Alliance. The urban fabric of Nancy also includes several gates which testify to the existence of the old fortications.

The most important elements of the urban landscape date to the 18th century. The monumental architecture of the famous squares is both Classical and Baroque in inspiration. Besides the Triumphal Arch, statues and fountains are integrated into these prestigious achievements, the principal architect of which was Emmanuel Héré. The cast iron grillwork, with its gold highlights, is of the "rocaille" style and adds the finishing touch to these rich urban and architectural ensembles; Jean Lamour is responsible for this exceptional ironwork.

Registration Criteria: 
Criteria (I) and (IV) are cited without details.