Place Stanislas
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location | Nancy, Lorraine, Grand Est, France |
Part of | Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy |
Reference | 229bis |
Inscription | 1983 (7th Session) |
Extensions | 2016 |
Area | 7 ha (17 acres) |
Buffer zone | 159 ha (390 acres) |
Coordinates | 48°41′37″N 6°10′59″E / 48.69361°N 6.18306°E |
The Place Stanislas is a large
History
Background
After the
Design and construction
The square was a major project in urban planning, conceived by
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
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
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 City Hall (Hôtel de Ville) of Nancy, which occupies the entire south side of the square, with the prefectural office of Meurthe-et-Moselleat the south-east corner;
- To the east, the Opera house (formerly the Bishop's Palace) and the Grand Hôtel (originally the Hôtel de la Reine, actually occupied by the Intendant Alliot);
- To the west, the Fine Arts Museum (originally the Collège de médecine) and the Pavillon Jacquet (originally a commercial/residential building, now mostly offices);[5]
- On the north side, the buildings were kept lower for defensive purposes (to permit crossfire between the Vaudemont and the Haussonville bastions).
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
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
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]
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Golden gate in the Place Stanislas
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Fountain of Neptun
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Panorama of the Place Stanislas in 2014
See also
- List of World Heritage Sites in Europe
Notes
- ^ a b c d "Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy". United Nations: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO.org. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ The duchy governor was handpicked by Louis XV's ministers.
- ^ 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).[1]
- ^ 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.") - ^ [2] Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Base Mérimée: Hôtel de Ville, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
References
- Simon, Pierre. 1994. Nancy : la ville de Stanislas. Metz: Editions Serpenoise. ISBN 2-87692-209-6
External links
- Video of Place Stanislas — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Place Stanislas, the Tourist Information Office in Nancy