Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa Fruhinsholz, located at 77 avenue du Général-Leclerc in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle, Grand Est), is an architectural testimony of the first quarter of the 20th century. Built between 1908 and 1910 in the garden city of Saurupt Park, it embodies the late legacy of Art Nouveau, an artistic movement that deeply marked the city at that time. Its integration into this landscaping reflects the urbanistic ideals of the time, combining nature and bourgeois habitat.

The villa was commissioned by Adolphe Fruhinsholz, manufacturer of barrels, to architect Léon Cayotte, local figure of the École de Nancy. The glass windows, a distinctive element of the Art Nouveau style, were created by Jacques Gruber, renowned master glassmaker. These collaborations illustrate the artistic and artisanal network that made Nancy's reputation as the capital of decorative arts at the turn of the century.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 30 March 1992, the property is protected for its facades, roofs and fence. It consists of a pleasant garden, a garage and the main accommodation, thus maintaining its original integrity. The plans kept at Nancy Hygiene Office, dated 1908, attest to the accuracy of its architectural design.

The villa Fruhinsholz is part of a larger set of Art Nouveau projects in Nancy, alongside other private hotels and buildings of the same period. Its history is inseparable from that of the École de Nancy, a movement that sought to harmonize art, industry and nature, and whose influence persisted well beyond 1900.

Today, the villa remains a preserved example of the bourgeois residential architecture of the time, testifying both to the local know-how and aesthetic aspirations of a city in full industrial and cultural expansion. Its inscription among historical monuments underscores its heritage importance in the landscape of the Netherlands.

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