Vany (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
The history of Vany dates back to the medieval period, when it functioned as a seigneurie under the control of the Order of Malta. This legacy is reflected in its coat of arms, which displays a silver Maltese cross on a red background alongside three gold bezants. The hamlet of Villers-l'Orme, first recorded between 1113 and 1116, developed from earlier forms such as Vilers in 1178 before adopting its present name by 1428.
A notable historical episode is the Battle of Vany in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. This event is commemorated by the neo-Romanesque Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Salette, constructed in 1868 at âÂÂle Haut Meyâ and dedicated to the Virgin MaryâÂÂs apparition at La Salette in 1846. The chapel was consecrated on 14 July 1868 by the Bishop of Metz and features a statue of chained Lorraine symbolizing the 1870 conflict, along with an altar devoted to Our Lady of Fátima.
Vany also possesses a long-standing viticultural heritage, with vineyards introduced during the Roman era around 52 BCE under the Pax Romana in Gallia Belgica. Viticulture expanded through the influence of ecclesiastical institutions established by bishops such as Chrodegang of Metz and Thierry I. By the 13th century, Metz bourgeois cultivated white wines, later incorporating Burgundy red varieties in the late 15th century. Vineyard production reached its peak in 1833 across Lorraine before declining due to the phylloxera outbreak in 1866 and the devastation of World War I.
Other heritage landmarks include the 15th-century Croix de Louve (erected in 1445 and restored in 1981), the Chapelle du Saint-Esprit dating from the 12th century and rebuilt in the 15th, and the Château de Villers-l'Orme, built in 1854 as a bourgeois residence linked to Metz.
Administratively, Vany has belonged to its current canton since 1802, following earlier affiliations with the cantons of Borny (1790) and Vallières (1795). During periods of German annexation, it was known as Warnich (Vany) and Ulmenweiler (Villers-l'Orme). Today, the commune is administered from its town hall on Rue Principale, with services such as waste collection managed by Eurométropole de Metz and ongoing initiatives including fiber-optic rollout and improvements to pedestrian infrastructure. Modern facilities include the City Stade de Vany, a sports complex located near the local primary school and shared with residents of Villers-l'Orme.
From an administrative standpoint, Vany is classified as a commune within the Moselle (57) and the Grand Est (44). It falls under the arrondissement of Metz, the canton of Le Pays Messin, and is part of the Metz Métropole intercommunal structure. The commune is identified by the INSEE code 57694 and postal code 57070, and it operates on Central European Time (CET/CEST).
The administrative territory also includes the hamlet of Villers-l'Orme, which was incorporated into Vany in 1819, creating a single commune with distinct settlement clusters along the RD 69c road.
Covering an area of 3.1 square kilometres, Vany borders several neighboring communes, including Charly-Oradour, Chieulles, Failly, Mey, Nouilly, Saint-Julien-lès-Metz, and Vantoux.