Top Historic Sights in Nancy, France
Explore the historic highlights of Nancy
Place Stanislas
Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom – Stanislaw I Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine – is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of a modern capital where an enlightened monarch proved to be sensitive to the needs of the public. Built between 1752 and 1756 by a brilliant team led by the architect Héré, this was a carefully conceived project that succee ...
Founded: 1756 |
Location:
Nancy, France
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy is one of the oldest museums in France. Established in 1793, the museum is housed in one of the four large pavilions on the Place Stanislas. In 1930, the town council decided to convert the building into a museum in order to host the fine art collection hitherto held in the city hall. In 1999, the art historian Jacques Thuillier donated a huge collection of drawings (2,000) and engravings ...
Founded: 1793 |
Location:
Nancy, France
St. Epvre Basilica
Built in the 19th century in gothic revival style by Prosper Morey, Saint-Epvre’s Basilica is decorated with stained glass and wood panelling and was in-part made in Bavaria. It was richly endowed by Napoleon III, Emperor Franz-Joseph, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Pope Pius who donated the beautiful stone paving in the choir that came from the Appian Way. The market square and general trading centre in the Middle Ages, ...
Founded: 1864-1874 |
Location:
Nancy, France
Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine
The Ducal Palace of Nancy was built in the 15th century for René II, Duke of Lorraine. In the 18th century the palace was extended by Baroque architects. Under the rule of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine parts of the building were pulled down, in preparation of greater projects, he intended. After the House of Habsburg had ceded Lorraine to French control in exchange for Tuscany, the ducal palace in Nancy became the home of St ...
Founded: 1502 |
Location:
Nancy, France
Nancy Cathedral
Nancy Cathedral was built at the beginning of the 18th century by architects Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Germain Boffrand. Several paintings by local artists from the 17th and 18th century are exhibited. The great organ of the cathedral of Nancy has been built from 1756 by Nicolas Dupont. One century later (1861), Aristide Cavaillé-Coll signed here its biggest work in France outside of Paris.
Founded: 1703 |
Location:
Nancy, France
Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours
The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours is the resting place of the Polish king Stanislaw I Leszczynski, who was the last duke of Lorraine. A large stone relief of the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is located on the clock tower on the main front.
Founded: 1737-1741 |
Location:
Nancy, France