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| nuthatch | profile | all galleries >> France >> Nancy and the Art Nouveau | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
 we're visiting Nancy, in the eastern French region of Lorraine |
 off the train early, we head for Stanislas square... |
 ...famous for its seven gates in gilded iron |
 it's busy in town this weekend, thanks to the annual book fair here |
 the book fair is small but packed with books, authors, and readers |
 after picking up a couple of interesting titles, we head out again for air |
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 the old town has narrow, curved streets |
 and some curious decorations |
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 here's the Craffe Gate, part of the original city defense |
 the Lorraine cross decorates the facade |
 further out, the Citadelle gate |
 back into old town... |
 ...we head for the ducal palace and its museums |
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 the church and convent of the Cordeliers retain mementos of past dukes |
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 in the museum, traces of the town's long history |
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 back on the streets, art of more recent style |
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 the place St-Epvre (patron saint of unpronounceable names) |
 in the large Pépinière park, once a nursery for tree-planting around town |
 another historic gate, the Porte Ste-Catherine... |
 ...leads to the very floral Jardin Godron |
 we have a last look at some old architecture this evening... |
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 ...as the next morning, we plan a walking tour of Nancy's Art Nouveau buildings |
 not bad for a bank! |
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 near the train station, at Place Maginot |
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 a (later) synagogue on Blvd Joffre |
 the 1908 chambre of commerce... |
 ...with ironwork by Majorelle... |
 ...and glass by Gruber |
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 on Avenue Foch |
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 1902 and 1904 buildings designed by André |
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 somehow, a 12th-c, tower survives here |
 the Villa Majorelle, where the artist and his family lived |
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 the neighborhood is rich with styled facades |
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 at the museum of the École de Nancy; the town was the source of France's Art Nouveau movement |
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 interiors with designs by Vallin, Gruber, Majorelle... |
 ...Daum, Gallé, Prouvé, etc. |
 this Vallin-Prouvé dining room is spectacular |
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 many elements were salvaged from houses lost to district reconstruction |
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 a curious aquarium in the garden of the museum |
 in a nearby neighborhood, rue Félix-Faure has several blocks of houses designed by César Pain... |
 ...each different, but all carrying elements of the new style of the early 20th-c, |
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 heading back into the old town, we pass other lovely examples |
 crossing the train tracks, we see a new building site which replaces a disused prison |
 we head to the mayor's office on Stansilas square for an exhibit on the Justes of France... |
 ...many of them ordinary citizens... |
 ...who supported and saved Jews and others in WWII |
 then back to the ducal palace for an exhibit on Jean Prouvé |
 mayor of Nancy after WWII, he was also an architect... |
 ...dedicated to housing the displaced and helping to rebuild towns all over Lorraine |
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 then back to Stanislas square |
 with the book fair over, the square is very quiet |
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 it's a nice and peaceful way to take a last look at Nancy |
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