Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Geography

The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...

, south of Nancy.

Épinal station Épinal station ( French: ''Gare d'Épinal'') is a railway station serving the commune of Épinal, Vosges department, France. The station is owned and operated by SNCF, in the TER Grand Est regional rail network and is served by TGV and TER trains. ...

has rail connections to Paris, Remiremont, Strasbourg, Belfort and Nancy.

Population

In 2018, 32,223 people lived in the town proper, while its functional area had a population of 119,955.Comparateur de territoire
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022.

Main sights

The old town centre features the Place des Vosges, the Chapitre district, Saint-Maurice's Basilica, medieval castle remains and the Roman House (11th and 13th centuries). It is also known for its parks and gardens, as well as a large communal forest with arboretum (the

Arboretum de la Forêt d'Épinal The Arboretum de la Forêt d'Epinal (1.1 hectares) is an arboretum located in Saut-le-Cerf, in the 3600-hectare communal forest of Épinal, Vosges, Grand Est, France. See also * List of botanical gardens in France This list of botanical garden ...

). There are major fortifications, extended and maintained until the early 20th century. There is a legend, among the populace of Épinal, that

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's ghost strolls the wall ramparts on 9 September of each year at 05:00. It was on this day and at this time that, in 1811, Napoleon gave his first and last oration to the city of Épinal, wherein he addressed the challenges posed by northern expansion. The Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial on the outskirts of the town where United States service members killed in World War II are buried.

Notable residents

Isabelle Cogitore Isabelle Cogitore (29 July 1964, Épinal) is a French historian, a specialist of ancient Rome, professor of Latin language and literature at the Stendhal University in Grenoble. Bibliography Among her publications are: *2002: ''La légitimité ...

(born 1964), historian *

Jean-Baptiste Jacopin Jean Baptiste Jacopin (20 October 1755 – 28 May 1811), was a French General during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was appointed Adjutant General and Chief of Brigade on 28 November 1793, and General of Brigade on 10 Jan ...

(1755–1811), general of the armies of the 1st Republic and the First French Empire. *

Victor Magnien François Victor Antoine Magnien (21 November 1802 – 8 June 1885) was a French violinist, guitarist, conductor, teacher and composer.Philip J. Bone: ''The Guitar and Mandolin. Biographies of Celebrated Players and Composers'' (London: Schott & Co ...

(1802–1885), violinist, guitarist and composer * Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), founder of sociology *

Louis Lapicque Louis Édouard Lapicque (1 August 1866 – 6 December 1952) was a French neuroscientist, socialist activist, antiboulangist, dreyfusard and freemason who was very influential in the early 20th century. One of his main contributions was to propos ...

(1866–1952), physiologist, specialist of the nervous system and known for his discovery of the

chronaxie Chronaxie is the minimum time required for an electric current double the strength of the rheobase to stimulate a muscle or a neuron. Rheobase is the lowest intensity with indefinite pulse duration which just stimulated muscles or nerves. Chronaxi ...

. * Marcel Mauss (1872–1950), father of French modern

ethnography Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

and nephew of Émile Durkheim. *

Marc Boegner Marc Boegner, commonly known as ''pasteur'' Boegner (; 21 February 1881 – 18 December 1970), was a theologian, pastor, essayist, notable member of the French Resistance and a notable voice in the ecumenical movement. Biography Marc Boegner w ...

(1881–1970), writer, thinker and pastor, president of the

Fédération protestante de France The Protestant Federation of France (''Fédération protestante de France'') is a religious organisation created on 25 October 1905, which united the main Protestant Christian groupings in France. The current president is Christian Krieger, who ...

and the World Council of Churches, a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

. * Henry Daniel-Rops (1901–1965), writer and historian *

Jean-Marie Cavada Jean-Marie Cavada (born 24 February 1940 in Épinal, Vosges) is a French politician and former journalist and media executive who last served as a Member of the European Parliament for Ile de France from 2004 until 2019. Since 3 December 2011 he ...

(1940) journalist and politician. *

Léo Valentin Léon Alfred Nicolas Valentin (22 March 1919, Épinal (Vosges), France - 21 May 1956, Liverpool, England) was a French adventurer, who attempted to achieve human flight using bird-like wings. Léo Valentin is widely considered to be the most famou ...

(1919–1956), French soldier and adventurer, nicknamed "l'homme-oiseau". *

Marceline Loridan-Ivens Marceline Loridan-Ivens (née Rozenberg; 19 March 1928 – 18 September 2018) was a French writer and film director. Her memoir ''But You Did Not Come Back'' details her time in Auschwitz-Birkenau. She was married to Joris Ivens. Biography Marc ...

(1928), film director *

Philippe Séguin Philippe Séguin (21 April 1943 – 7 January 2010) was a French political figure who was President of the National Assembly from 1993 to 1997 and President of the Cour des Comptes of France from 2004 to 2010. He entered the Court of Financi ...

(1943–2010), Mayor of Épinal, French politician, President of the Court of Auditors under the Fifth Republic. * Ségolène Royal (1953), completed her high school in Charmes, before joining the Lycée Saint-Joseph of Épinal in 1968. * Laetitia Masson (1966), screenwriter and film director *

Valérie Donzelli Valérie Donzelli (born 2 March 1973) is a French actress, filmmaker and screenwriter. She has directed five feature films and two short films since 2008, including the film ''Declaration of War'' (2011). Early life Valérie Donzelli was born i ...

(1973), actress and film director *

Jeanne Cressanges Jeanne Cressanges, real name Jeanne Mouchonnier (born 6 May 1929 in Noyant-d'Allier ( Allier) is a French screenwriter, dialoguist, essayist, and novelist. Biography Jeanne Cressanges was born in a modest family of the Bourbonnais. Her paterna ...

, novelist, essayist * Nicolas Matthieu (1978), writer, winner of the

Prix Erckmann-Chatrian The prix Erckmann-Chatrian is a literary award from Lorraine, awarded every year since 1925 in memory of the literary duo Erckmann-Chatrian. It rewards a written prose work by someone form Lorraine or about Lorraine. It is often nicknamed the " Gonc ...

in 2014. *

Maria Pourchet Maria Pourchet (born 5 March 1980) is a French novelist. Her novels have been published by Éditions Gallimard in the Collection Blanche. Pourchet was born in Épinal. Publications Novels * ''Avancer'', novel, Gallimard, Collection Blanche, ...

, (1980), writer, winner of the

in 2013.
Marie-Antoinette Gout
Righteous Among the Nations

Sportspeople

Gauthier Klauss Gauthier Klauss (born 17 December 1987) is former French slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2003. His career ended in 2018 after C2 category was removed from the World cup and World championship. He won a bronze me ...

(1987), canoeist. * Matthieu Péché (1987), canoeist *

Aurore Mongel Aurore Mongel (born 19 April 1982 in Épinal, France) is a national record holding and Olympic butterfly swimmer from France. She swam for France at the 2008 Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad ( ...

(1982), swimmer * Damien Nazon (1974), rider *

Jean-Patrick Nazon Jean-Patrick Nazon (born 18 January 1977, in Épinal Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department. Geography The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Mosell ...

(1977), rider *

Julien Bontemps Julien Francis Bontemps (born 1 June 1979 in Épinal, Vosges) is a male windsurfer from France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions an ...

(1979), windsurfer * Maxime Mermoz (1986), rugby player * Nacer Bouhanni (1990), rider *

Rayane Bouhanni Rayane Bouhanni (born 24 February 1996 in Épinal) is a French cyclist, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental team . He is the younger brother of Nacer Bouhanni. Major results ;2014 : National Junior Road Championships ::1st Road r ...

(1996), brother of the former, also a rider *

Grégory Gaultier Grégory Gaultier (born 23 December 1982, in Épinal, France) is a former professional squash player from France. He has won the 2015 World Open Squash Championship, the British Open three times, in 2007, 2014 and 2017, the Qatar Classic in 201 ...

(1982), 2015 squash world champion

Economy

Épinal is best known for the " Images d'Épinal" – which is now a common expression in French language – the popular prints created by a local company, the Imagerie d'Épinal, formerly known as the Imagerie Pellerin. These stencil-colored woodcuts of military subjects, Napoleonic history, storybook characters and other folk themes were widely distributed throughout the 19th century. The company still exists today, and still uses its hand-operated presses to produce the antique images. Other local industries include textiles, metals, morocco leather, precision instruments, and bicycles. There is a school of textile weaving.

Politics

Épinal is contained within

Vosges' 1st constituency The 1st constituency of the Vosges is a French legislative constituency in the Vosges département. Description The 1st Constituency of Vosges forms a band of territory running through the centre of the Department from north to south. It inc ...

for elections to the National Assembly.

Education

The engineering College

École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois The École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois (ENSTIB, formerly ESSTIB) is a French engineering College created in 1985. The school's teaching is based on the needs of the wood sector, drawing on research. Four sectors o ...

dedicated to

wood Industry The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furnitu ...

is located in the city.

Sport

SAS Épinal Stade Athletique Spinalien Épinal is a French football club based in the commune of Épinal. They currently play in the Championnat National 2. Their kit colours are yellow and blue. They play their home matches at the Stade de la Colombière i ...

is based in the commune.

International relations

Épinal is twinned with: *

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...

, North Macedonia *

Chieri Chieri (; pms, Cher) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont (Italy), located about southeast of Turin, by rail and by road. It borders the following municipalities: Baldissero Torinese, Pavarolo, Montaldo Torine ...

, Italy * Gembloux, Belgium *

La Crosse La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...

, United States * Loughborough, England, United Kingdom * Nový Jičín, Czech Republic *

Schwäbisch Hall Schwäbisch Hall (; "Swabian Hall"; from 1802 until 1934 and colloquially: ''Hall'' ) is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg located in the valley of the Kocher river, the longest tributary (together with its headwater Lein) of the ...

, Germany

References