Discovering Nancy…
Nancy, a beautiful history
Founded in the 11th century, Nancy was first and foremost the capital city of the Dukes of
Lorraine. Perhaps the most famous of these, Stanislas, who was offered the city as a life-time
gift, embellished it with magnificent treasures. The defeat of France in 1870 and the annexation
of Alsace and Moselle were paradoxically quite advantageous for Nancy, since the resulting
influx of people proved to be quite beneficial to the economy of the city and its artistic
production. The old town is a beautiful reminder of the epoch of the Dukes of Lorraine.
Stanislas an architect King
Stanislas Lezczynski, King of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, was removed
from power twice and subsequently sent into exile. Fortunately his daughter
Marie married the King of France, Louis XV, who offered lands in France to
his new father-in-law as a life-time possession. The new Duke of Lorraine
transformed his capital city by adding the magnificent ‘Place Royale’, an
architectural complex formed today by the Place Stanislas, the existing
Place de la Carrière and the Place d’Alliance.
The Birthplace of the Art Nouveau School
Population growth after the annexation of 1870 was accompanied by a
period of economic prosperity which encouraged artistic patronage. It
was in this context that the Nancy School, an exceptionally rich
movement in European Art Nouveau, was born. At the spearhead of
this Alliance of art and art industries, Emile Gallé, its first president, set
out the movement’s philosophy : to make art available to the greatest
number of people by utilizing industry to reproduce the fruits of artistic
creation.
A glass-making tradition : the Daum crystal works
Since 1878, the artistic talent and skills of the Daum crystal works have
given glass-making the noble recognition that it deserves in the world of
French decorative art. The Nancy glass-works was created in 1878 by Jean
Daum. Then in 1891, his son Antonin set up an art department, which was
the starting point for a unique production much sought after throughout
the world. The first vases, decorated with colored, finely detailed flowers,
were produced, precursors of what would become, in its maturity, the Art
Nouveau style. Taking nature as a source of inspiration for artistic creation
has been one of the characteristic features of the Daum style since the
early 1900’s. The Daum family, with increasing inventions and patents, were the first to
embellish electric lamps with glass, recruiting the skills of other artists of the period such as
Majorelle or the talented designer Henry Bergé.
for more information : http://www.daum.fr/
Fine eating in Nancy: Bergamots and Macaroons
A speciality which is exclusive to Nancy is the bergamot. This translucent
candy, golden orange in color is a successful mix of sugar and essential oils
of bergamot, a hybrid of citrus oranges originating in Calabria. The
bergamot has become the gastronomic emblem of the ducal city.
As for the macaroon, although it is now manufactured and enjoyed almost
everywhere, the truly original one is the one created by the Macaron sisters
of Nancy, for which the recipe is a well-guarded secret.
for more information : www.macaron-de-nancy.com
The ‘musts’ of Nancy
The Place Stanislas (Stanislas Square)
The main square in Nancy, the Place Stanislas, with its gilded portals at
each corner created by Jean Lamour, is the masterpiece of Emmanuel
Héré. It fully deserves its place among the UNESCO World Heritage sites,
together with the 18th century quarter which surrounds it (Place de la
Carrière and Place d’Alliance). The Nancy City Hall, the Fine Art Gallery
(Musée des Beaux Arts) and the Lorraine National Opera, all located on
the Place Stanislas, combine to form a wonderful balance of design and
architecture.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine Art Gallery): a showcase
for the Daum collection
Located in the Royal College of Medicine, this museum has benefitted
from two successive extensions which now mean that it can exhibit
numerous masterpieces: paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures.
The Daum collection illuminates the lower levels of the building.
for more information : http://mban.nancy.fr/
The Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy (School of Nancy Museum)
The Musée de l’école de Nancy is located in the house of Eugène Corbin,
founder of the Magasins Réunis and generous patron of the arts. The
interior of the villa serves as a depository for the works of the masters of
Art nouveau. The collections illustrate the diversity of the techniques
deployed by artists from the Nancy School. Yet the museum has
successfully retained the charm of a private dwelling.
for more information : http://www.ecole-denancy.com/web/index.php?page=presentation-men
The Musée Lorrain (Lorraine Museum). The Palace of the
Dukes of Lorraine.
Since the end of the middle ages, the occupants of the palace have
continued the tradition of embellishing it. The façade facing the street is
an example of Renaissance art in Nancy. The museum also houses
documents tracing the history of the Lorraine area, which are remarkable
for their quality and their rich variety. Memorabilia of the Dukes of
Lorraine can be seen, along with the painting by Georges de la Tour ‘La
femme à la puce’ as well as engravings by Jacques Callot
for more information : http://www1.nancy.fr/culturelle/musees/museelorrain.html
The Eglise des Cordeliers (Franciscan Church)
Adjoining the Musée Lorrain is the Eglise des Cordeliers,
considered to be the Saint Denis of Lorraine. In the crypt of
the church lie the remains of the Dukes of Lorraine. This
sanctuary also served as a holy setting for the marriage in
1954 of Otto von Hapsburg, son of the last Emperor of
Austria, and Regina von Saxe Meiningen.
The Cathedral
Although at first sight it has a somewhat modest
appearance, the Baroque structure of the Nancy Cathedral is
nevertheless home to impressive works of art such as a 16th
century Virgin with Child in polychrome stone, and liturgical
artifacts belonging to Saint Gauzelin
The Eglise Saint Epvre (Saint Epvre Church)
The Eglise Saint Epvre holds a prominent position in the old
town (vieille ville). It has 5 entrance portals, 74 windows and
3 rose windows of stained glass. On the frontal square of the
church, groups of figures in bronze represent the evangelists.
Nothing remains of the original 15th century church. It had
become too small for the needs of the cult and was replaced
by a larger building, completed in 1875.
The internet site of the Nancy Tourism Office provides more information on the richness of
Nancy’s heritage and the opportunities for visiting the city and its surroundings:
http://www.ot-nancy.fr/