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 and nephew of Émile Durkheim. * Marc Boegner (1881–1970), writer, thinker and pastor, president of the Fédération protestante de France and the World Council of Churches, a member of the Académie française. * Daniel-Rops, Henry Daniel-Rops (1901–1965), writer and historian * Jean-Marie Cavada (1940) journalist and politician. * Léo Valentin (1919–1956), French soldier and adventurer, nicknamed "l'homme-oiseau". * Marceline Loridan-Ivens (1928), film director * Philippe Séguin (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, Vosges, Charmes, before joining the Lycée Saint-Joseph of Épinal in 1968. * Laetitia Masson (1966), screenwriter and film director * Valérie Donzelli (1973), actress and film director * Jeanne Cressanges, novelist, essayist * Nicolas Mathieu (writer), Nicolas Matthieu (1978), writer, winner of the Prix Erckmann-Chatrian in 2014. * Maria Pourchet, (1980), writer, winner of the Prix Erckmann-Chatrian in 2013.
Marie-Antoinette Gout
Righteous Among the Nations

Sportspeople

* Gauthier Klauss (1987), canoeist. * Matthieu Péché (1987), canoeist * Aurore Mongel (1982), swimmer * Damien Nazon (1974), rider * Jean-Patrick Nazon (1977), rider * Julien Bontemps (1979), windsurfer * Maxime Mermoz (1986), rugby player * Nacer Bouhanni (1990), rider * Rayane Bouhanni (1996), brother of the former, also a rider * Grégory Gaultier (1982), 2015 Men's World Open Squash Championship, 2015 squash world champion

Economy

Épinal is best known for the "Épinal print, 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 for elections to the National Assembly of France, National Assembly.

Education

The engineering College École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois dedicated to Wood industry, wood Industry is located in the city.

Sport

SAS Épinal is based in the commune.

International relations

Épinal is town twinning, twinned with: * Bitola, North Macedonia * Chieri, Italy * Gembloux, Belgium * La Crosse, Wisconsin, La Crosse, United States * Loughborough, England, United Kingdom * Nový Jičín, Czech Republic * Schwäbisch Hall, Germany

References