Departmental domain
of Lunéville Castle

CD 54 – L. Boulanger

Built in 1702 for Duke Leopold I of Lorraine ^, the Château de Lunéville is inspired by the palace of Louis XIV. It owes its nickname to him: "the little Versailles of Lorraine".

Seeking to distance himself from Nancy, then occupied by the French army, Leopold I ^decided to withdraw with his court to Lunéville and elevate the town to the status of capital. On the foundations of an old castle, he had the site transformed into a princely residence. This residence, built by Germain Boffrand, a student of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, required nearly twenty years of construction.

The Château de Lunéville was later occupied by Leopold I's successor ^: Stanislas Leszczynski, former King of Poland who became Duke of Lorraine through the marriage of his daughter, Marie Leszczynska, to Louis XV. Representing French classicism, it is considered one of the finest and largest architectural ensembles of the 1th ^century.

In 2003, the castle suffered a fire: the following decades were marked by long periods of work – which are gradually being completed – to rebuild it.