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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Roman house of Epinal is an eclectic building built in the late nineteenth century, inspired by ancient Roman architecture. In 1892, commissioned by Madame Leclerc-Morel, heiress of the Grands Moulins de Strasbourg, her design was adapted to the Vosges climate by architect Jean Boussard. The project, which had not been completed due to the ruin of the sponsor, was taken over by the city in 1902 to install the municipal library, incorporating 18th-century woodwork from the abbey of Moyen.

Between 1905 and 1906, a second work campaign completed the winter garden and the rose garden, now classified as a French garden. The building, characterized by its atriums, exterior columns and pumpkin-style murals, was listed as historical monuments in 1990. Two lion statues keep its entrance, while its 3000 m2 rose garden houses more than 500 varieties of roses, bearing witness to its dual architectural and botanical heritage.

Originally conceived as a private residence, the Roman house became a major cultural place for Epinal. Its hybrid architecture, combining ancient references and local adaptations, reflects the eclectic tastes of the era. The presence of the woodwork of Moyenne, transferred after the Revolution, strengthens its anchoring in regional history, between religious heritage and industrial heritage in Lorraine.

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