Épinal (; ; ) is a commune in northeastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and the prefecture of the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single geomorphological unit and ...

department.

Geography

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

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) 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 joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

, 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 The TGV ...

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

History

The mythical founding date of Épinal is said to be 983 since celebrations took place for the "Millennium" in June 1983. This date was chosen for political reasons to mark a "starting point" following the election of Philippe Séguin as mayor in March 1983. In 1444, the town of Épinal was still part of the domain of the

bishops of Metz This is a list of bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Metz, which now lies in eastern France. To 500 * Clement of Metz (c. 280–300) * Celestius * Felix I * Patient * Victor I 344–346 * Victor II * Simeon * Sambace * Rufus of Metz * Ade ...

. In September, representatives of the town took advantage of King Charles VII's passage through Nancy to offer him the submission of the town and to ask for his protection in return. The act of submission of Épinal is dated September 7, 1444. The king promised never to alienate the city; however,

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...

handed over the town to the Marshal of Burgundy in 1465. Eventually, Épinal came under the guardianship of the Duke of Lorraine. In 1790, the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

requested the departmental assembly of Vosges to choose between

Mirecourt Mirecourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges (French department), Vosges Departments of France, department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particula ...

and Épinal as the capital of the department. The departmental assembly convened in Épinal on June 1 and, with three hundred and eleven votes against one hundred and twenty-seven, chose the city of Épinal. Mirecourt became a sub-prefecture. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in January 1944, the Stalag 315

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

was relocated from the German-occupied Netherlands to Épinal, and it housed Indian POWs. At least 40 POWs were killed and 80 were wounded after the camp was hit during a bombing of the town in May 1944.

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 (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

'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 Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial is a United States military cemetery in Dinozé, France. The site rests on a plateau above the Moselle River in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. It contains the graves of 5,255 of the United States' ...

on the outskirts of the town where United States service members killed in World War II are buried.

Notable residents

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

(born 1964), historian *

Jean-Baptiste Jacopin Jean Baptiste Jacopin (20 October 1755, Brioude – 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 ...

(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 David Émile Durkheim (; or ; 15 April 1858 – 15 November 1917) was a French Sociology, sociologist. Durkheim formally established the academic discipline of sociology and is commonly cited as one of the principal architects of modern soci ...

(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. Chronax ...

. *

Marcel Mauss Marcel Israël Mauss (; 10 May 1872 – 10 February 1950) was a French sociologist and anthropologist known as the "father of French ethnology". The nephew of Émile Durkheim, Mauss, in his academic work, crossed the boundaries between sociolo ...

(1872–1950), father of French modern

ethnography Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

and nephew of

. *

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

(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 Christians, Christian groupings in France. In 2023, the current president is Ch ...

and the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, most jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodo ...

, a member of the . * 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 ...

(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 famo ...

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

Léon Schwab Léon Schwab, born November 28, 1862, in Épinal and died February 5, 1962, in the same town, was a French politician. A cloth merchant, then a lawyer, he also took an interest in the history of the French Revolution as part of a departmental co ...

(1862-1962), French cloth merchant, lawyer and politician. *

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'' (''Et tu n'es pas revenu'') details her time in Auschwitz-Birkenau. She was married to ...

(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 Financ ...

(1943–2010), Mayor of Épinal, French politician, President of the Court of Auditors under the Fifth Republic. *

Ségolène Royal Ségolène Royal (; born Marie-Ségolène Royal; 22 September 1953) is a French politician who took part in the 2007 French presidential election, losing to Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round. She was the first woman in France's history to r ...

(1953), completed her high school in Charmes, before joining the Lycée Saint-Joseph of Épinal in 1968. *

Laetitia Masson Lætitia Masson (born 18 August 1966) is a French film director and screenwriter. She has directed twelve films since 1991. Her film '' For Sale'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival The 51st Cannes ...

(1966), screenwriter and film director *

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

(1973), actress and film director * Jeanne Cressanges, 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, (1980), writer, winner of the

in 2013.
Marie-Antoinette Gout

Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...

Sportspeople

Gauthier Klauss Gauthier Klauss (born 17 December 1987) is former French slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 2003 to 2018, when the C2 category was removed from major events. He won a bronze medal in the C2 event at the 2016 Summer Oly ...

(1987), canoeist. *

Matthieu Péché Matthieu Patrick François Péché (born 7 October 1987, in Épinal) is a former French slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 2003 to 2018, when the C2 category was removed from major events. He won a bronze medal in the ...

(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 Olympia ...

(1982), swimmer *

Damien Nazon Damien Nazon (born 26 June 1974) is a former French racing cyclist. He finished in last place in the 1998 Tour de France. Nazon took a total of 33 victories during his career, including stage wins in the Dauphiné Libéré, the Grand Prix du Mi ...

(1974), rider *

Jean-Patrick Nazon Jean-Patrick Nazon (born 18 January 1977, in Épinal) is a French former professional road bicycle racer who turned professional in 1997. He is the brother of former racing cyclist Damien Nazon. Major results ;1998 : 6th Overall Circuit de L ...

(1977), rider * Julien Bontemps (1979), windsurfer * Maxime Mermoz (1986), rugby player *

Nacer Bouhanni Nacer Bouhanni (born 25 July 1990) is a French former professional racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2011 to 2023. A sprinter, he was the winner of the 2012 French National Road Race Championships. Although his first Grand To ...

(1990), rider * Rayane Bouhanni (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 ...

(1982), 2015 squash world champion *

Pierre Thiriet Pierre Louis Thiriet (born 20 April 1989 in Épinal) is a French racing driver. He finished eighth overall and second in the LMP2 class of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class in 2012. Career After co ...

(1989), racing driver

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 Morocco leather (also known as Levant, the French Maroquin, Turkey, or German Saffian from Safi, a Moroccan town famous for leather) is a vegetable-tanned leather known for its softness, pliability, and ability to take color. It has been widely ...

, 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 In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

Education

The engineering College

École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...

dedicated to

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

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 Championnat National, the third tier of French football. Their kit colours are yellow and blue. They play their home matches at ...

is based in the commune.

International relations

Épinal is twinned with: *

Bitola Bitola (; ) 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 border crossing ...

, North Macedonia *

Chieri Chieri (; ) 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 Torinese, Pino ...

, Italy *

Gembloux Gembloux (; ; ) is a municipality and city of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2006, the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants. The total area is 95.86 km2, yielding a population density of 229 inhabitants per ...

, Belgium *

La Crosse La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 20 ...

, United States *

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England; it is the administrative centre of Charnwood Borough Council. At the United Kingdom 2021 census, the town's built-up area had a popula ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Nový Jičín Nový Jičín (; ) is a town in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic centre of Nový Jičín is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservati ...

, 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 N ...

, Germany