Coordinates: 48°10′28″N 6°27′04″E / 48.1744°N 6.4512°E
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Commune of Épinal |
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 The River Moselle |
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| Location | |
  Épinal
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Lorraine |
| Department | Vosges |
| Arrondissement | Épinal |
| Canton | Épinal-Est and Épinal-Ouest |
| Intercommunality | Épinal-Golbey |
| Mayor | Michel Heinrich (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 315–492 m (1,033–1,614 ft) (avg. 340 m/1,120 ft) |
| Land area1 | 59.24 km2 (22.87 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 35,814 (2006) |
| - Density | 605 /km2 (1,570 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 88160/ 88000 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinaliens.
Contents |
The commune has a land area of 59.24 km² (22.873 sq mi). It is situated on the Moselle River, 60 km (37 mi) south of Nancy.
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 the 9th of September of each year at 5:00 A.M. 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.
There is an American military cemetery on the outskirts of the town holding the remains of United States service members killed in World War II.
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 participates in town twinning to foster good international relations. Its current partners include:
Bitola, Macedonia
Chieri, Italy
Gembloux, Belgium
La Crosse, United States
Loughborough, United Kingdom
[Schwäbisch Hall]], Germany
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