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Origin and history

Nancy Government Palace, also known as the Governor's Palace, is an 18th-century mansion with a classic style, with a clean garden. His story begins with the Duke Léopold I of Lorraine, who, judging the former Ducal Palace "stirred and obsolete", entrusted Germain Boffrand with the construction of a "New Louvre" on the Place de la Carrière. The works, begun in 1715, were interrupted by the premature death of the heir Léopold-Clément in 1723, then abandoned definitively after the Duke's death in 1728, leaving the site unfinished.

In 1739, the remains of the "New Louvre" became communal property and were largely destroyed, with the exception of some arcades visible in the present garden. Stanislas, the fallen king of Poland and father-in-law of Louis XV, launched the urban projects of Nancy, including the creation of Stanislas and Alliance Squares. He entrusted Emmanuel Héré with the construction of a "New Stewardship" (1751-1753) for Chancellor Antoine-Martin Chaumont de La Galaizière. This palace, decorated by artists such as Barthélémy Guibal or Girardet, became a symbol of stanislasian architecture.

When Stanislas died in 1766, Lorraine was attached to France. The palace became the residence of governors, including Jacques Philippe de Choiseul-Stainville, then a military siege during the Revolution (4th military division in 1791). It will successively house generals like Bernoville or Gilot, before becoming the prefecture of Meurthe in 1823. The building was home to royal and imperial figures, including Charles X, Napoleon III and François Joseph of Austria.

The 19th century marked its return to a military vocation: command of the 20th Corps (1899-1935), then siege of the 20th Military Region. During World War II, he was occupied by the Germans (1940-1944), before sheltering the 2nd Infantry Division on Liberation. From 1964 to 1999, he hosted the 1st Corps and the 4th Airmobile Brigade until 2009. The army finally left in 2010.

Since 2013, the palace has been integrated into the Lorrain Museum as part of a renovation project. Its 8,800 m2 garden, decorated with two bicentennial plane trees, was re-opened to the public in 2021. Ranked a historic monument since 1923 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 (with Place de la Carrière), it now combines heritage and cultural dynamism.

Architecturally, the palace closed in hemicycle the Place de la Carrière and marked the western limit of the Park de la Pépinière. Its garden, accessible from Jacquot Street, houses maple trees and plane trees planted under Stanislas. The facades, roofs and furniture are protected by several classification orders (1923, 1928, 2005).

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