In the days of foraging barbarians and rampaging Germans, this fortress kept the citizens of Nancy safe.
Editor’s Note: At the request of his readers and in memory of Warner M. Montgomery, Ph.D, we will continue to publish his Adventure Travel stories for the time being.
France is the country, Lorraine is the province, Nancy is the city, and Place Stanislas is the city center. While visiting Benedicte and her happy family, Linda and I took the opportunity to walk from their home to Place Stanislas, a distance of about three miles over ancient roads.
Others who walked along the same cobblestones were Romans heading for the baths (407 AD), Joan of Arc heading for the pyre (1431), Charles the Bold heading for execution (1477), Germans heading for Paris (1870), Germans heading home (1918), Hitler heading for Paris (1940), and Gen. George Patton heading for Berlin (1944).
Stanislas Leszczynski fought his way to become king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and count of the Holy Roman Empire by 1736. Then he abdicated, became a scientist, and received the Duchy of Lorraine as a parting gift promising it would revert to France when he died. So at his death in 1766, Lorraine became part of France.
Place Stanislas was constructed between 1751 and 1755. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a pedestrian mall linking Nancy’s City Hall, Opera House, Grand Hotel, Fine Arts Museum, Arc de Triomphe, a tropical garden, and an outdoor café. While Linda sniffed the flowers, I catalogued the historic buildings.
The citizens of Nancy truly enjoy their outdoor spaces. The parks and the square were full of people of all ages enjoying the sunshine in a region that sees a lot of cloudy days.
That night Benedicte and Olivier had guests over and prepared a terrific meal. We toasted our friendship, America, and France, and peace in the world. Viva la France.
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