Coordinates: 48°41′38″N, 6°10′59″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

The Place Stanislas, known colloquially as the place Stan', is a large pedestrianized square in Nancy, Lorraine, France. Since 1983, the architectural ensemble comprising the Place Stanislas and the extension of its axis, the Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance, has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 148 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,024 × 189 pixels, file size: 48 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... As of 2006, there are a total of 830 World Heritage Sites located in 138 State Parties. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... For other uses, see Nancy (disambiguation). ... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Statistics Land area1 23,547 km² Population (Ranked 11th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. ...

History

The square was a major project in urban planning imagined by Stanisław Leszczyński, Duke of Lorraine and former King of Poland, as a way to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the new town built under Charles III in the 17th century. The square would also be a place royale to honor his son-in-law, Louis XV. The design linked two handsome buildings that already existed, the Hôtel de Ville, now centered on its grand square, and the Hôtel du Gouvernement. The seat of city government and the seat of ducal government^[1] faced one another as complements through a series of rational, symmetrical, yet varied urban spaces unequalled in Europe at the time. Reign From 1704 until 1709 and from 1733 until 1736 Elected In 1704 and 1733 in Wola, today suburb of Warsaw, Poland Coronation On October 4, 1705 in the St. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lorraine (province). ... Charles III the Simple (September 17, 879 - October 7, 929) was a member of the Carolingian dynasty. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Louis XV, called the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé) (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774), ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1715 until his death. ... In French, a hôtel de ville or mairie is a town hall (and not a hotel). ... The city of Los Angeles is an example of urbanisation Urbanization or Urbanisation (see difference in spelling) means the removal of the rural characteristics of a town or area, a process associated with the development of civilisation. ...

The square and the surrounding buildings, unified by their colossal orders, were designed by the royal architect Emmanuel Héré de Corny (1705–63). Construction began in March 1752 and ended in November 1755. Barthélémy Guibal and Paul-Louis Cyfflé created a bronze statue of Louis XV, which stood in the middle of the square until it was removed during the Revolution and replaced with a simple winged figure. The square was renamed "Place du Peuple", and later "Place Napoléon". In 1831, a bronze statue of Stanisław (Stanislas in French) was placed in the middle of the square, since then known as the "Place Stanislas". Emmanuel Héré de Corny (Nancy, 12 October 1705 — Lunéville, 2 February 1763, Lunéville), court architect to StanisÅ‚aw LeszczyÅ„ski, Duke of Lorraine and former King of Poland at his capital of Nancy, is famous for the harmonious suite of axial spaces he developed, extending from the... // Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on...

The square has always been used for public assemblies and festivities, but it has undergone several make-overs in its history, even serving as a parking lot between 1958 and 1983. In 2004 and 2005 the square underwent a massive restoration, inspired by the original 18th-century plans. The ten-month project cost approximately 9 million euros.^[2] The inauguration of the new Place Stanislas in May 2005 coincided with the square's 250th anniversary. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800 in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Description

A view from the South-East corner

The Place Stanislas is 125 meters long and 106 meters 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 : Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• The City Hall of Nancy (Hôtel de Ville), which occupies the entire South side of the square, with the Préfecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle at the South-East corner ;
• To the East, the Opéra-Theâtre (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 (Musée des Beaux Arts, originally the Collège de Médecine) and the Pavillon Jacquet ;
• On the North side, the buildings were kept lower for defensive purposes (to permit crossfire between the Vaudemont and Haussonville bastions).

An Arc de Triomphe by Héré stands in the center 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. A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, usually built to celebrate a victory in war. ... The French word avenue can mean or refer to any of the following : Most commonly, it refers to two parallel lines of trees specially planted as a landscape feature. ...

At the far end is the Place d'Alliance, defined by the hemicycles of colonnades that enclose the sides and are carried across the pre-existing façade of the Palais du Gouvernement.

The statue in the center of the Place Stanislas, created by Georges Jacquot (1794-1874), 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 :

The four corners and 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 center of its main façade. The North-West and North-East corners also feature ornate fountains designed by Barthélémy Guibal (1699-1757).

Notes

1. ^ The governor, in fact, was hand-picked by Louis XV's ministers.
2. ^ 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]

References

• Simon, Pierre 1994. Nancy. La ville de Stanislas (Metz: Editions Serpenoise), Metz ISBN 2-87692-209-6

External links

• Entry in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites
• Place Stanislas Website of the Tourist Information Office in Nancy
• Photographs of Nancy by Gregory Jacquier
• Place Stanislas - Live Webcam
• (French) Les Echos - July 24, 2006
• (French) "Un nouvel art de ville" (PDF) An illustrated pamphlet detailing the history and recent restoration of the Place Stanislas
• (French) Transcript Speech given by President Jacques Chirac on the newly renovated Place Stanislas - May 19, 2005