Church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers

The church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers

The Nancy audio-guided tour invites you to quiet contemplation before the church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers, one of the rare religious monuments of the Old Town. Its existence is intimately linked to one man and to a decisive victory of Lorraine history.

An ex-voto of René II

During the siege of Nancy in 1477, Duke René II of Lorraine won a decisive victory against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. In the aftermath of this triumph, he decided to thank God by erecting this church, near the ducal palace, in 1487. The building became the necropolis of the dukes of Lorraine, who rest there in a dedicated chapel. It is a major place of memory and contemplation of the city.

What there is to see

The church houses the tombs of the dukes of Lorraine and the ducal chapel, surmounted by a dome, where the dynasty rests. Recumbent figures, funerary sculptures and decor invite silence and contemplation. Linked to the neighbouring palace of the dukes of Lorraine, it is a high place of the dynastic and religious memory of Nancy, to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers is in the Old Town of Nancy, near the palace of the dukes of Lorraine. A place of worship and memory, it is visited with respect for contemplation; access and the visit of the ducal chapel follow their own schedule, whose hours may vary. Appropriate dress is appreciated.

Why was the church of the Cordeliers built?

By Duke René II, in 1487, to thank God after his 1477 victory over Charles the Bold during the Battle of Nancy.

Who rests in the church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers?

The dukes of Lorraine, whose necropolis is in the ducal chapel adjoining the church.