HÔTEL DE STAINVILLE

This brick and stone house in the Cathedral district (also known as ‘La Primatiale’), was built in 1619 for Pierre de Stainville, great Dean of the Primatial Church. Above the entrance porch sits the bust of Duke Henri II; today it is a copy by Bussière that can be seen, since the original is in the Musée Lorrain.

This is one of the oldest mansion houses built in red bricks with the highly attractive black brick diamond motif. The interplay of brick and stone seen in the building was very rarely used in Lorraine. The dukes employed this motif in the construction of Renaissance buildings and a few examples of it can still be seen on the gates Porte Saint-Georges and Porte Notre-Dame.

The superb straight staircase, inside, composed of several flights of stairs and several landings, is the building’s architectural masterpiece.