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Origin and history

The Saint-Michel d'Epinal chapel, built between 1477 and 1479 on a spur of pink sandstone (Mont-le-Duc), is a rare example of medieval Gothic architecture preserved on the outskirts of the city. Commanded by bourgeois René Molot, one of the four jurors-governors of Épinal between 1464 and 1476, she is dedicated to Saint Michael, whose cult is undergoing a revival in the north-east of France at the end of the Middle Ages, in connection with the spirituality of Jeanne d'Arc. Its vaults, decorated with 15th century frescoes, illustrate scenes of the Last Judgment and evangelists, while a neo-Roman span was added in 1876.

Sold as a national property in 1791 during the Revolution, the chapel was transformed into an agricultural building for 80 years. Repurchased in 1876 by Father Michel Auguste Brenier, parish priest of Épinal, it is restored and restored to worship. A neo-Romane span is then added, and an adjacent building later serves as a sponsorship room. Gradually abandoned after 1987, she was a victim of vandalism before being listed as a historical monument in 1992 and renovated from 1993.

The frescoes of the choir and the nave, among the best preserved of the Vosges, represent religious scenes such as the entrance to Paradise with St Michael and St Peter. The chapel once housed a burial place (15 polychrome wooden characters), transferred in 1809 to the Basilica of Saint-Maurice d'Epinal after the destruction of the original in 1792. This work, classified as a historical monument in 1846, bears witness to the artistic importance of the place. Today, the chapel is home to modern statues, including a linden St Michael (1996) and three stone statues (2004) from the Bourse school.

The site, originally called faubourg de la Fontaine, owes its present name ("faubourg Saint-Michel") to the chapel, which also gave its name to the street and the nearby cemetery, created during the Revolution. Owned by an association since the 1990s, it symbolizes both the Vosges religious heritage and the urban transformations of Epinal, between the Middle Ages and the contemporary era.

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