Musée Lorrain, Nancy

The Musée Lorrain, located in the historic Palais Ducal at 64 Grande-Rue in the old city of Nancy in the Grand Est region of France, is the principal museum of Lorraine history, art, and culture, presenting over two thousand years of the region's past from Gaulish and Roman antiquity through to the 20th century. The museum occupies the Ducal Palace, a late Gothic and early Renaissance building begun in 1502 under Duke René II following his victory over Charles the Bold of Burgundy at the Battle of Nancy in 1477. The palace façade, dominated by a spectacular carved triumphal gateway and a corner turret decorated with flamboyant Gothic tracery, is one of the finest surviving examples of early French Renaissance architecture combined with late Gothic ornament. The museum underwent a major renovation with phased reopening from 2019. The permanent collection is organised chronologically, beginning with Celtic oppidum archaeology and Roman material from the Metz and Toul territories. Medieval galleries cover the history of the Duchy of Lorraine, including the Wars of the Dukes and the gradual absorption of the duchy into France. Exceptional holdings include a large collection of Lorraine faience (decorated earthenware) from the major production centres of Lunéville and Saint-Clément; a significant body of Lorraine paintings and drawings from the 17th century, including works by Georges de La Tour and graphic works by Jacques Callot; and extensive Lorraine silverware and liturgical metalwork. An adjacent building houses collections related to the Jewish history of Lorraine and the Dreyfus Affair, reflecting Nancy's historically significant Jewish community. The palace's original grande salle and the early Renaissance Porterie (gatehouse) are among the architectural highlights integrated into the visitor circuit.