Place Stanislas

Last updated
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vue de nuit de la Place Stanislas a Nancy.jpg
Location Nancy, Lorraine, Grand Est, France
Part ofPlace Stanislas, Place de la Carrière  [ fr ] and Place d'Alliance  [ fr ] in Nancy
Reference 229bis
Inscription1983 (7th Session)
Extensions2016
Area7 ha (17 acres)
Buffer zone159 ha (390 acres)
Coordinates 48°41′37″N6°10′59″E / 48.69361°N 6.18306°E / 48.69361; 6.18306
Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Place Stanislas in Grand Est
France relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Place Stanislas (France)

The Place Stanislas is a large pedestrianised square in the French city of Nancy, in the Lorraine historic region. Built between 1752 and 1756 on the orders of Stanislaus I, the square is one of the oldest examples of an architecturally consistent and monumental public square, and is an excellent example of 18th-century urban architecture. [1] Since 1983, the architectural ensemble comprising the Place Stanislas, the extension of its axis, the Place de la Carrière and the Place d'Alliance, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [1]

Contents

History

Background

After the War of the Polish Succession in 1737, the Duchy of Upper Lorraine, of which Nancy was the capital, was given to Stanislaus I Leszczyński (Stanisław in Polish, Stanislas in French), former King of Poland and father-in-law to King Louis XV of France. An earlier ruler, Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, had undertaken much reconstruction in Lorraine, which had been ravaged by a series of wars. He had recruited numerous artists and architects for this work, including Germain Boffrand, who trained Emmanuel Héré. Hence, Stanislaus found a pool of talent and experience to draw from on his arrival. [2]

Design and construction

Plan of the square, 1752 PlanPlaceStanFortif.jpg
Plan of the square, 1752

The square was a major project in urban planning, conceived by Stanislaus I of Poland as a way to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the "new" town built in the 17th century under Charles III, Duke of Lorraine. The square was also intended as a place royale to honour Stanislaus' son-in-law, Louis XV. The design created a large urban square or place that linked two handsome existing buildings: the Hôtel de Ville (city hall, now centred on its grand square) and the Hôtel du Gouvernement, the seat of the duchy. The seat of city government and the seat of Ducal government [3] 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 (1705–1763). [1] Construction began in March 1752, [1] and ended in November 1755.[ failed verification ] Barthélémy Guibal and Paul-Louis Cyfflé created a bronze statue of Louis XV that was erected in the center of the square. It was removed during the iconoclasm of the Revolution, when it was replaced with a simple winged figure. The square was renamed the 'Place du Peuple', and later the 'Place Napoléon'.

In 1831, a bronze statue of Stanislaus was placed in the middle of the square; since then it has been known as the 'Place Stanislas'.

The square has always been used for public assemblies and festivities. It has undergone several makeovers in its history and, in a low period of appreciation, served as a car parking area for nearly a quarter of a century, between 1958 and 1983.

The city has since reserved it for pedestrian use. In 2004 and 2005, the city undertook a massive restoration of the square, based on the original 18th-century plans. The ten-month project cost approximately 9 million  euros. It was financed by a combination of city and local, regional, national and private funds. [4] The inauguration of the new Place Stanislas, in May 2005, coincided with the square's 250th anniversary.

Description

Layout of the square Place stan.svg
Layout of the square

The Place Stanislas is 125 metres (410 ft) long and 106 metres (348 ft) wide. It is paved with light ochre stones, with two lines of darker stones forming a diagonal cross motif. The square is surrounded by an architecturally harmonious ensemble of buildings, most notably these:

The Arc Héré, a triumphal arch built by Emmanuel Héré de Corny, stands in the centre of the fourth side, leading to the adjoining Place de la Carrière, where the main axis is developed as a double avenue of trees, with symmetrical buildings facing each other down its length.

The far end is defined by the hemi-cycles of colonnades that enclose the sides and are carried across the pre-existing façade of the Palais du Gouvernement.

The four corners and the west and east sides of the square feature gilded wrought iron gates and lanterns, created by Jean Lamour (1698–1771); who was also responsible for the wrought iron balustrade on the main staircase in the Hôtel de Ville, and the balcony across the centre of its main façade. The north-west and north-east corners also feature ornate fountains designed by Barthélémy Guibal (1699–1757). Because of these gates, Nancy is nicknamed City with Golden Gates (Ville aux Portes d'Or).

Panorama of the Place Stanislas after a renovation in 2010 PanoStanislasCrepuscule.jpg
Panorama of the Place Stanislas after a renovation in 2010

Central statue

The statue in the centre of the Place Stanislas, created by Georges Jacquot, represents Stanislas standing, dressed in flowing robes, holding a sword in his left hand and pointing towards the north with his right hand. The inscriptions on the high marble pedestal read:

• South face:Stanislas Leszczynski, Roi de Pologne, Duc de Lorraine et de Bar, 1737–1766
(Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, 1737–1766)
• North face:À Stanislas le Bienfaisant, la Lorraine Reconnaissante, 1831, Meurthe-Meuse-Vosges
(To Stanislas the Benefactor, Lorraine [is] grateful, 1831, Meurthe-Meuse-Vosges)

Hôtel de Ville

Plan of the facade of the Hotel de Ville, presented by Emmanuel Here FacadeHotelDeVillePlaceStan.jpg
Plan of the façade of the Hôtel de Ville, presented by Emmanuel Héré

The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), also known as Palais de Stanislas (Stanislas's Palace), is the largest building in the square at 98 metres long, and occupies the whole south side of the square. Built in 1752–1755, it has served as the city hall since its construction. It was designated as a monument historique on 12 July 1886. [6] [7]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy". United Nations: UNESCO World Heritage Centre . UNESCO.org. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  2. Pupil, François. "Pose de la première pierre de la Place Royale de Nancy". Célébrations nationales 2002 (in French). Culture - French government. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  3. The duchy governor was handpicked by Louis XV's ministers.
  4. The final budget for the entire two-year operation 'Nancy 2005, le temps des Lumières', including the restoration of the Place Stanislas and associated festivities, was 9.45 million euros (about half provided by city and local funds, the other half by regional, national, and private funds).
  5. Demolière, Hippolyte-Jules (1855). De Paris à Strasbourg (in French). L. Hachette et cie. p.  71. Le pavillon Jacquet, occupé par des marchands et des particuliers. ("The Jacquet House: occupied by merchants and private citizens.")
  6. Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Base Mérimée : Hôtel de Ville , Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy, France</span> City in Grand Est, France

Nancy is the prefecture of the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which was annexed by France under King Louis XV in 1766 and replaced by a province, with Nancy maintained as capital. Following its rise to prominence in the Age of Enlightenment, it was nicknamed the "capital of Eastern France" in the late 19th century. The metropolitan area of Nancy had a population of 511,257 inhabitants at the 2018 census, making it the 16th-largest functional urban area in France and Lorraine's largest. The population of the city of Nancy proper is 104,885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanisław Leszczyński</span> King of Poland from 1704 to 1709

Stanisław I Leszczyński, also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at various times Prince of Deux-Ponts, Duke of Bar and Duke of Lorraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunéville</span> Subprefecture and commune in Grand Est, France

Lunéville is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocaille</span> French style of exuberant decoration

Rocaille was a French style of exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature, that appeared in furniture and interior decoration during the early reign of Louis XV of France. It was a reaction against the heaviness and formality of the Louis XIV style. It began in about 1710, reached its peak in the 1730s, and came to an end in the late 1750s, replaced by Neoclassicism. It was the beginning of the French Baroque movement in furniture and design, and also marked the beginning of the Rococo movement, which spread to Italy, Bavaria and Austria by the mid-18th century.

Stanislav and variants may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Baroque architecture</span> Architecture of the Baroque era in France

French Baroque architecture, usually called French classicism, was a style of architecture during the reigns of Louis XIII (1610–1643), Louis XIV (1643–1715) and Louis XV (1715–1774). It was preceded by French Renaissance architecture and Mannerism and was followed in the second half of the 18th century by French Neoclassical architecture. The style was originally inspired by the Italian Baroque architecture style, but, particularly under Louis XIV, it gave greater emphasis to regularity, the colossal order of facades, and the use of colonnades and cupolas, to symbolize the power and grandeur of the King. Notable examples of the style include the Grand Trianon of the Palace of Versailles, and the dome of Les Invalides in Paris. In the final years of Louis XIV and the reign of Louis XV, the colossal orders gradually disappeared, the style became lighter and saw the introduction of wrought iron decoration in rocaille designs. The period also saw the introduction of monumental urban squares in Paris and other cities, notably Place Vendôme and the Place de la Concorde. The style profoundly influenced 18th-century secular architecture throughout Europe; the Palace of Versailles and the French formal garden were copied by other courts all over Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germain Boffrand</span> French architect (1667–1754)

Germain Boffrand was a French architect. A pupil of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Germain Boffrand was one of the main creators of the precursor to Rococo called the style Régence, and in his interiors, of the Rococo itself. In his exteriors he held to a monumental Late Baroque classicism with some innovations in spatial planning that were exceptional in France His major commissions, culminating in his interiors at the Hôtel de Soubise, were memorialised in his treatise Livre d'architecture, published in 1745, which served to disseminate the French Louis XV style throughout Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugène Vallin</span>

Eugène Vallin was a French furniture designer and manufacturer, as well as an architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Château de Lunéville</span> Ducal residence in Lunéville, Lorraine

The Palace of Lunéville is a residence of the Duke of Lorraine since the 13th century in Lunéville, about 35 kilometers east of Nancy, capital of Lorraine. The palace is owned by the Department Meurthe-et-Moselle since 2017. Many people visit the palace, park, or gardens of Lunéville every year, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Héré de Corny</span>

Emmanuel Héré de Corny was the court architect to Stanisław Leszczyński, Duke of Lorraine and former King of Poland at his capital of Nancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Mique</span> French architect

Richard Mique was a neoclassical French architect born in Lorraine. He is most remembered for his picturesque hamlet, the Hameau de la Reine — not particularly characteristic of his working style — for Marie Antoinette in the Petit Trianon gardens within the estate of Palace of Versailles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Château de Failloux</span>

The Château de Failloux was built in the 18th century in northeastern France. It is located in the commune of Jeuxey in the Vosges département, France, a few kilometers from the historical center of Épinal. The castle takes its name from the local hamlet, Grande Failloux. Etymologically, the term "Failloux" derives from the unusual abundance of deciduous trees in an area generally dominated by coniferous trees. Although falling within the administrative area of the commune of Jeuxey, the site of Failloux is isolated from the village and is located closer to the town of Épinal. The castle entrance has an ornamental wrought-iron gate designed by the workshops of Jean Lamour, who built the gates of the Place Stanislas in Nancy, in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Château d'Haroué</span>

The château de Craon, also known as the château d'Haroué or palais d'Haroué is a French château located in a small valley in the centre of the village of Haroué, in the Saintois, in the département of Meurthe-et-Moselle and the région of Lorraine. It was built between 1720 and 1732 by Germain Boffrand during the period when Lorraine was independent of France, for Marc de Beauvau, prince de Craon, viceroy of Tuscany and constable of Lorraine.

François-Antoine Devaux was a Lorraine poet and man of letters. He was called Panpan by his friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place Royale, Brussels</span> Square in Brussels, Belgium

The Place Royale or Koningsplein is a historic neoclassical square in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Modelled after the so-called French royal square and built between 1775 and 1782, according to a plan of the architects Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré and Gilles-Barnabé Guimard, to replace the former Palace of Coudenberg, it was part of an urban project including Brussels Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Château de Commercy</span> Castle in Meuse region of France

The Château de Commercy is a castle in the town of Commercy, in the Meuse department of France. It was the principal residence of the reigning Prince of Commercy and was built by Charles Henri de Lorraine. The site, château and grounds, was classified Monument historique in 1960, with the roofs and façades of the wings being classified in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorraine and Barrois</span>

Lorraine and Barrois was a government of the Kingdom of France, formed in February 1766 from the duchies of Lorraine and Bar upon the death of Stanisław Leszczyński.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arc Héré</span> Triumphal arch in Nancy, France

The Arc Héré or Porte Héré is a triumphal arch located in the city of Nancy, France, on the north side of the Place Stanislas. It was designed by Emmanuel Héré de Corny to honor the French king Louis XV and was built between 1752 and 1755. Its architecture is inspired by the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome. The Arc replaced an older royal gate constructed under the rule of Louis XIV; three bas reliefs from the old gate are featured on the Arc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ville Vieille - Léopold</span> Neighbourhood in Nancy, France

Ville Vieille - Léopold is an administrative region containing the oldest part of the city of Nancy.

References