Lunéville

Lunéville became a principal residence of the dukes of Lorraine, its château and gardens giving the town the character of a court. An older fortress gave way to a great palace in the early eighteenth century. Its courtyards, chapel and gardens reflected the ambitions of a dynasty seeking to restore Lorraine after years of war.

Duke Leopold began rebuilding the château around 1701, and work continued into the 1720s. Stanislas Leszczyński, former king of Poland, made it his residence after receiving Lorraine in 1737, adding gardens and entertainments for his court. At his death in 1766 the duchy passed to France and the château became a cavalry barracks. In 1801 France and Austria signed the Treaty of Lunéville, bringing their war to an end.