Epinal, France

Facts About the City

• Official web site for the city of Epinal.
• Epinal is located in the Lorraine region of France in the northeast part of the country, near Nancy and Strasbourg.
• The Moselle River passes through the center of the city which is also located at the foot of the Vosges Mountains.
• Its biggest festival is to celebrate St. Nicolas, the Patron Saint of the Lorraine area.
• The population of Epinal is around 40,000.
• The residents of Epinal are called "Spinaliens."
• St. Maurice is the Patron Saint of Epinal and the name of its Basilica.
• The ruins of the Château d’Epinal, dating from the 12th-17th century, overlook the city.
• Epinal’s  "Imagerie" has been producing world-famous prints since the 18th century.
• Epinal has Sister Cities in England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Macedonia in addition to the U.S.
• Trane Company has been in Epinal since 1965, when the headquarters were transferred there from Paris. The factories are in two suburbs of Epinal: Golbey and Charmes.
• In 1940 and 1944, Epinal was the site of intense bombings
• The 45th division of the 7th American Army liberated Epinal on Sept. 21, 1944.
• Quéquemont is the name of the American Cemetery in Epinal where over 5,000 soldiers are buried, including from Wisconsin, and even 4 with La Crosse connections. 

Sister City Relationship

• Over 500 La Crosse area students have participated in the area high school exchanges since 1987.
• Over the years, several other groups have participated in exchanges, including UW-L Choir, Orchestra & Jazz Ensemble as well as a bell choir, Poly-Sons (an Epinal choir), soccer & golf teams as well as some interns.
• For the 10th anniversary, Gary Walth composed a special musical piece for the UW-L Choir and Orchestra to perform in Epinal at the celebration.
• Northside School 5th graders have exchanged booklets they made with their counterparts in a school in Epinal called Notre Dame as part of a Rotary project. 
• There have been numerous young people from Epinal and La Crosse who have participated in internships in either city. 
• The Hoeschler family introduced Logrolling in Epinal and its other Sister Cities. They arranged for a key log to be sent to Epinal in 2017.
• Le Pinau is a statue symbolizing the city of Epinal. For the 20-year anniversary of the Sister City relationship, Epinal gifted a replica to La Crosse, which can be seen at the intersection of Main and 2nd Streets in downtown La Crosse.

History of the Statue Le Pinau

The statue Le Pinau depicts a boy pulling a thorn from his left foot. The city of Epinal derives its name from the French word épine which means thorn. The original antique bronze statue was created by a Greek sculptor, and is now located in Italy. The version that resides in Epinal was done by sculptor Jules Laurent in 1825. 

A subsequent reproduction was placed on the column near Epinal's farmers market. In 1999, the statue suffered another fall from its perch due to a car accident, but was later repaired. 

For the 20-year anniversary of the Sister City relationship, Epinal gifted a replica to La Crosse, which can be seen at the intersection of Main and 2nd Streets in downtown La Crosse. There is also a small replica in the French section of the International Friendship Gardens.