Saint-Nicolas-de-Port
| Saint-Nicolas-de-Port | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Grand Est | |
| Department | Meurthe-et-Moselle | |
| Arrondissement | Nancy | |
| Canton | Jarville-la-Malgrange | |
| Community association | Pays du Sel et du Vermois | |
| Coordinates | 48 ° 38 ' N , 6 ° 18' E | |
| height | 201-292 m | |
| surface | 8.23 km 2 | |
| Residents | 7,520 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 914 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 54210 | |
| INSEE code | 54483 | |
| Website | www.saintnicolasdeport.com | |
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port ( German out of date, uncommon: Niclasburg or St. Niclasburg ) is a French commune with 7520 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Lorraine department in the Grand Est region (until 2015 Lorraine). The inhabitants are called portois in French . The municipality belongs to the Arrondissement of Nancy and was the capital of the canton of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port until 2015 , since then the municipality has belonged to the canton of Jarville-la-Malgrange .
geography
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port is on the left bank of the Meurthe , across from Varangéville . On the D400 road it is 13 kilometers to Nancy and 18 kilometers to Lunéville . Long-distance traffic flows mainly via the A33 autoroute . The Rhine-Marne Canal runs past Saint-Nicolas-de-Port.
history
In Roman times the place was called simply Portus (harbor) and the surrounding area was called Pagus portensis. Up until the 11th century it became the old French port . In 1093 the first church was built, in which a relic of St. Nicholas was venerated. This relic, a finger joint of the saint's hand of blessing, was brought back from Bari by the crusader Aubert de Varangéville in 1090 , where the remains of Nicholas were recently kept. The place was now called Saint-Nicolas-de-Myre .
Because of the large number of pilgrims, a second, larger church was built in 1193. This should Joan of Arc prayed 1429 before they saved France. Today's late Gothic basilica was built by Simon Moycet from 1481 on behalf of Duke René II of Lorraine and inaugurated in 1560. Allegedly, the duke was fulfilling a vow he had made during prayer in 1477 if he should defeat the enemy Burgundians - which then happened.
During the Thirty Years War , Saint-Nicolas-de-Port was largely destroyed by the Swedes on November 5, 1635.
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port was given its current name on April 2, 1961, previously the name of Saint-Nicolas .
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 | 2017 |
| Residents | 5761 | 7279 | 7490 | 7482 | 7706 | 7505 | 7687 | 7520 |
Attractions
The Basilica of St. Nicolas du Port has a late Gothic Flamboyant style and has impressive dimensions: the nave is 32 m high, the columns are 28 m the highest in France, the towers rise 85 and 87 m respectively Height. The basilica houses a relic of St. Nicholas of Myra and was an important pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages .
The current building replaces a previous building that has become too small due to the increasing number of pilgrims. Its construction goes back to René II , Duke of Lorraine , who expressed his gratitude for his victory over Charles the Bold at the Battle of Nancy (1477). Construction began in 1481 and was completed in 1544, with the exception of the towers, which were erected between 1550 and 1560. The sculptor Jacques Bachot , who is one of the most important late Gothic sculptors in this region, was involved in the decoration work .
Ecclesiastically it has the rank of a minor basilica .
Also worth seeing are:
- the French Brewery Museum (Le musée français de la brasserie).
- the cinema and photography museum (Le musée du cinéma et de la photographie).
Regular events
The highlight of community life is the St. Nicholas Festival, which is celebrated every year on the Saturday, which is closest to December 6th. The festivities begin with a parade. Local clubs pull through the town with floats decorated for Advent and are accompanied by marching music clubs. Sweets, often the bergamot pastilles famous for the region, are thrown into the audience. A fireworks display takes place shortly after nightfall. The highlight of the day is the Saint-Nicolas light procession in the basilica. For around two hours, the parish honors the patron saint of the city and all of Lorraine with a special liturgy and light processions within the church.
In honor of St. Nicholas, there will also be a service on Whit Monday, followed by a parade through the community. On the weekend of Pentecost there is also “Messdi”, a fair.
Parish partnership
The community has been in partnership with the German community of Dielheim in Baden-Württemberg since 1985 .
Web links
- Official website of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port
- French Brewery Museum
- Cinema and Photography Museum
- History of the basilica
- S. Nicolà in the Topographia Palatinatus Rheni ( Matthäus Merian )