Ordered by Stanis%u0142aw Leszczy%u0144ski, Duke of Lorraine, it was built between 1751 and 1755. The name and the statue changed according to the moving history of France; it is called “Place Stanislas “since 1831.

The square is often called the « most beautiful square of the world » by the citizens of Nancy. But its large proportions (106x124m) stay modest in comparison with the 12 hectares of the Place Quinconces in Bordeaux, which holds the French record. And even in Nancy for example the Place de la Carrière and the Cours Leopold are larger.

Thus, the square is not so particular because of its dimensions but because of its construction and its role in the planning of the city, because it relied two formerly independent quarters of the town. The architecture and the monuments surrounding it are more typical for a modern capital than for a simple town in the provinces. So, the town planning affirms the persistence of the power of the Duke of Lorraine.

The Place Stanislas is surrounded by the following monuments :
- the Hôtel de Ville (town hall), the biggest building of the place, which is also called Palais Stanislas
- the Hôtel de la Reine (Queen’s House)
- the Opéra Théâtre
- the Pavillon Jacquet
- the Musée des Beaux Arts (Museum of Fine Arts)
- the Basses fasses, two small pavilions in front of the Hôtel de Ville which open the perspective to the triumphal arch and the Place de la Carrière
- the Arc Héré (triumphal arch)
In 1831, a bronze statue of Stanis%u0142aw (Stanislas in French) was placed in the middle of the square.

Source: www.wikipedia.org