Arc Héré

The Arc Héré is a triumphal arch located in the city of Nancy, France, in the north of the Place Stanislas. It was designed by Emmanuel Héré de Corny to honor French king Louis XV and was built between 1752 and 1755. Its architecture is inspired by the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome. The Arc replaced an older royal gate constructed under the rule of Louis XIV; three bas reliefs from the old gate are featured on the Arc.

The Arc displays themes of war and peace, with one side featuring arrowheads and armor and the other featuring wheat ears and cornucopias. The top of the Arc bears an inscription reading: "HOSTIUM TERROR / FOEDERUM CULTOR / GENTISQUE DECUS ET AMOR" (terror of the enemies, maker of treaties, and the glory and love of his people), referring to Louis XV. To the sides of the inscription are statues of the deities Ceres, Minerva, Hercules, and Mars. Above the inscription is an acroterion comprised of gilded statues of Minerva, Pax (the Roman goddess personifying peace), and Fama (the Roman goddess personifying glory), all surrounding a medallion of Louis XV. Below the inscription are three marble bas reliefs taken from the old royal door that stood before construction of the Arc; they were retained for their depictions of Apollo, to whom Louis XV was often compared in imagery and art.

History

The original white marble medallion of Louis XV on top of the Arc was destroyed during the French Revolution. It was quickly replaced with a gilded lead medallion, which was taken down for preservation in 1830 during the July Revolution. It was eventually replaced on the Arc in 1852.

The Arc is part of the architectural ensemble comprising the Place Stanislas, the Place de la Carrière, and the Place d'Alliance, which in 1983 was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "Arc Héré" and modified on 24 May 2020 according to the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.