The porte Désilles (or mémorial Désilles) is a
memorial gate in the French city of
Nancy. It is considered to be the oldest
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
in France.
It is located on place du Luxembourg, on the northern extension of cours Léopold and the esplanade du Souvenir-Français, at the junction of rue Désilles, rue de Metz and rue de la Craffe. It was built between 1782 and 1784 to designs by the architect Didier-Joseph-François Mélin on the initiative of the
Comte de Stainville, commander in chief of Lorraine.
This monument was intended to close the view at the end of cours Léopold and to open a view out onto the route de Metz, as well as to provide a memorial to citizens of Nancy who had died in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, specifically during the
Siege of Yorktown
The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...
(1781).
Its name was initially porte Saint-Louis, then porte Stainville, and finally took its present name in memory of
André Désilles and his death in the
Nancy affair
The Nancy affair (), commonly referred to in English as the Nancy Mutiny, was the crushing of a military mutiny in France on 31 August 1790, two years before the final overthrow of the French monarchy. The mutiny was of particular significance ...
. It was made a
monument historique
() is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
on 15 January 1925.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porte Desilles
Terminating vistas in France
Triumphal arches in France
Buildings and structures in Nancy, France
Tourist attractions in Nancy, France
1784 establishments in France
Buildings and structures completed in 1784
18th-century architecture in France