| Épinal | |
| Commune Status: | Prefecture and commune |
| Image Coat Of Arms: | Blason Épinal.svg |
| Arrondissement: | Épinal |
| Canton: | Épinal-1 and 2 |
| Insee: | 88160 |
| Postal Code: | 88000 |
| Mayor: | Patrick Nardin[1] |
| Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Intercommunality: | CA Épinal |
| Coordinates: | 48.1744°N 6.4512°W |
| Elevation M: | 340 |
| Elevation Min M: | 315 |
| Elevation Max M: | 492 |
| Area Km2: | 59.24 |
| Urban Pop: | 61912 |
| Urban Area Km2: | 161.3 |
| Urban Pop Date: | 2018 |
| Metro Area Pop: | 119955 |
| Metro Area Km2: | 1288 |
| Metro Area Pop Date: | 2018 |
| Website: | www.epinal.fr |
Épinal (in French pronounced as /epinal/; German: Spinal; Latin: Spinalium) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department.[2]
The commune has a land area of 59.24km2. It is situated on the river Moselle, 60km (40miles) south of Nancy. Épinal station has rail connections to Paris, Remiremont, Strasbourg, Belfort and Nancy.
The mythical founding date of Épinal is said to be 983 since celebrations took place for the "Millennium" in June 1983.[3] This date was chosen for political reasons to mark a "starting point" following the election of Philippe Séguin as mayor in March 1983.[4]
In 1444, the town of Épinal was still part of the domain of the bishops of Metz. 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.[5] The king promised never to alienate the city; however, Louis XI 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 requested the departmental assembly of Vosges to choose between Mirecourt and Épinal as the capital of the department. The departmental assembly convened in Épinal on June 1st and, with three hundred and eleven votes against one hundred and twenty-seven, chose the city of Épinal. Mirecourt became a sub-prefecture.
In 2018, 32,223 people lived in the town proper, while its functional area had a population of 119,955.[6]
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).
There are major fortifications, extended and maintained until the early 20th century. There is a legend, among the populace of Épinal, that Napoleon'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.
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.
Épinal is contained within Vosges' 1st constituency for elections to the National Assembly.
The engineering College École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois dedicated to wood Industry is located in the city.
SAS Épinal is based in the commune.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France. Épinal is twinned with:[9]
Bitola, North Macedonia
Chieri, Italy
Gembloux, Belgium
La Crosse, United States
Nový Jičín, Czech Republic