Nancy, a historic city of 150,000 inhabitants, lies near the Meurthe River in the Northeast corner of France. One hundred and ninety miles from Paris and ninetythree from Strasbourg, Nancy is the capital and cultural, commercial, and university center of Lorraine.

Nancy became a model of eighteenth-century urban planning under Stanislas I, the last duke of Lorraine. The former king of Poland, Stanislas was given the dukedom in 1737 after his daughter married Louis XV of France. Under his patronage, Nancy was transformed into a city of wide avenues, imposing squares, a large public park, and many buildings that were considered by many to be among the finest architectural accomplishments of the eighteenth century. Nancy's center is still Place Stanislas, which contains a statue of its favorite duke.