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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Fléville Castle, located in Fléville-devant-Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), is an iconic building combining medieval architecture and Renaissance. Built in 1320, it retains a 30 metre high feudal dungeon, symbol of its defensive origin. In 1533, the main façade, of first French Renaissance style, was completed under the direction of architect Michel de la Chausse. This unique balcony, inspired by Italian models, and carved skylights illustrate the transalpine influence on Lorraine.

The castle, spared by Richelieu during the Thirty Years' War, houses remarkable elements such as dried moat, a courtyard decorated with rocky vases (XVIIIth century), and a furnished interior including a chapel and the Lorraine State Hall. The chamber of Stanislas Leszczyński, king of Poland, bears witness to his stay in 1758. Since 1812, the family of Lambel has owned it, preserving this heritage classified as a Historic Monument since 1982 and 2007.

The 20-hectare park, labeled 'remarkable garden', combines a French garden designed in the 18th century by Louis-Ferdinand de Nesle (known as Gervais) and a romantic garden furnished in the 19th century by the Count of Choulot. There is a vegetable garden, a rose garden, an orangery with a trompe-l'oeil decor (circa 1680), and a gazebo. Ranked since 1991, the park completes the architectural complex open to the public, with guided tours offered from March to December.

Comparisons with the castle of Azay-le-Rideau highlight the purity of the lines of Fléville, while its dungeon and moats recall its feudal past. Renaissance woodwork, Lorraine's coat of arms, and securities collections enrich the visit. The castle thus illustrates the architectural evolution of the Lorraine, from medieval fortifications to Renaissance elegance, to landscape arrangements of the Lights.

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