Before you rises an impressive triumphal arch of light stone, adorned with numerous sculptures and golden details - look to the northern side of Place Stanislas, where the main, wide arcade opens up a view to the city's other squares.
Imagine a bustling 18th-century Nancy, when an old, sturdy Porte Royale, built by order of Louis XIV himself, stood where the current arch is. These were times of great change: in 1752, Duke Stanislas Leszczyński decided to demolish the old gate and build something that would captivate generations. Work on the arch, designed by Emmanuel Héré, began in 1753 and lasted two years. As workers carved marble bas-reliefs and erected columns, the entire Place Stanislas echoed with the sounds of hammers and tools.
The new gate was not only meant to impress - for a time, it served as a fortification and was connected to the city walls by galleries, right next to a cobbled patrol road for soldiers. This explains its unusual width. Only when the walls disappeared did the arch become a freestanding monument of glory. The Roman Arch of Septimius Severus and the Parisian Saint-Antoine gate served as inspiration. Interestingly, the highest part of the structure, towering over passersby, was adorned with sculptures of four ancient deities: Ceres, Minerva, Mars, and the mighty Hercules, all sculpted by Guibal. However, the most striking feature is a group of gilded lead figures - in the center, on the acroterion, there is a medallion with a portrait of Louis XV, supported by Minerva and an allegory of peace, while above, Fama, the goddess of fame, hovers, holding a laurel and a trumpet, as if sounding a victorious note.
Three marble bas-reliefs preserve ancient stories: Apollo aiming an arrow at a winged dragon, Minerva and Mercury under palm trees, Apollo playing the lyre with the Muses - here, every detail recalls those who sought to combine the rule of the sword with culture and art. Interestingly, the figure of Apollo then symbolized the king himself! Above your heads, you also see Latin inscriptions proclaiming glory - during the French Revolution, they were painted over with the slogans 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,' only to have the original sentences about the victorious duke and peace restored in 1876.
The triumphal arch, though it seems merely a beautiful monument today, witnessed revolutionary events - during the turbulent 19th century, the medallion of Louis XV was removed and restored, as if the gate lived the political life of the city. Since 1923, it has been listed as a historical monument, and in 1983, along with Place Stanislas, it was added to the prestigious UNESCO list. Stand for a moment in silence and let your imagination see marching soldiers, artists working on sculptures, and townspeople who daily passed this monumental symbol of times of war and peace.
