Place Stanislas, the Birth of a Masterpiece

Place Stanislas, the birth of a masterpiece

The Nancy audio-guided tour takes you to Place Stanislas, the absolute must-see of the city and its true calling card. Dear to the people of Nancy as to all the people of Lorraine, it is undoubtedly the main reason for many visits to the ducal city.

The great project of Stanislas

The square was designed in the eighteenth century on the initiative of Stanislas Leszczynski, former king of Poland who became Duke of Lorraine and father-in-law of Louis XV. He wanted to link the medieval Old Town and the New Town by a royal square of unprecedented elegance. Entrusted to the architect Emmanuel Héré and the ironworker Jean Lamour, it was completed in the middle of the century and dedicated to the king of France, whose statue originally stood at its centre.

What there is to see

A masterpiece of French classicism, the square is lined with harmonious pavilions and closed by sumptuous gilded wrought-iron gates, signed by Jean Lamour, as well as by monumental fountains. At its centre today stands the statue of Stanislas. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the finest squares in Europe, to be admired by day as at nightfall.

Practical information

Place Stanislas is in the heart of Nancy, between the Old Town and the New Town. Entirely pedestrian, it is freely accessible at all hours and on the level. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is particularly spectacular in the evening, when its gates and façades light up.

Who created Place Stanislas?

Stanislas Leszczynski, Duke of Lorraine, in the eighteenth century, with the architect Emmanuel Héré and the ironworker Jean Lamour.

Is Place Stanislas listed?

Yes, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is a masterpiece of French classicism and one of the finest squares in Europe.