Sospel is a common French, located in the department of the the Alpes-Maritimes and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. Its inhabitants is called the Sospellois . In Niçois (Georges Castellana), one says Souspèu and read Souspelenc for his inhabitants.

André Roland de Denus only indicates in its Dictionnaire (1889) Sospellitain for Gentilé but at the time one appreciated above all the compounds of erudite pace. The republication (2004) of the Petit Larousse 1906 still indicates Sospellitains . The Petit Larousse 1985 indicates no gentilé for Sospel.

Geography

Sospel is located at 20 km of Menton, to approximately 350 m of altitude, the doors of the National park of Mercantour. With its famous old Bridge with toll dating from the 13th century, one of the last of Europe, Sospel is a quiet medieval small village on the edge of the Bévéra.

History

county of Vintimille to the County of Provence

Commune under the supervision of the counts de Vintimille to the Middle Ages, Sospel very early affirms its independence vis-a-vis the claims of the counts, who were forced to make act of allegiance to the Republic of Genoa which had aimings on the area. Sospel thus seeks the protection of the County of Provence, only counterweight with hegemony génoise.

March 28th, 1258 the transfer of Sospel to Provence is effective. Chief town of Viguerie, Sospel gains in importance on the administrative level. There existed in 1258 only 6 vigueries in the County of Provence: Marseilles, Hyères, Draguignan, Nice, Fatty, Sospel (viguery of Vintimille - Valley of Lantosque) and 4 baillages: Toulon, Saint-Maximin, Brignoles, Puget-Théniers. It is enough to note the extent of this viguery to judge importance of this medieval city.

The great schism of occident makes it possible Sospel to become évéché since 1378, by making pressure on the new évèque one of Vintimille, which is established definitively in Sospel. In reprisals, the Roman pope Urbain VI names another bishop with Vintimille. A new bishop, Pierre Marinaco, is named in Sospel in 1384, and this last having been promoted archbishop with Famagouste leaves the vacant post. Following the election of third sovereign pontiff in 1409 with the council of Pisa (Alexandre V), the Roman Catholic church, in full chaos, hardly worries to find a substitute with Pierre Marinaco, and Sospel is thus found without bishop. It will be necessary to await the end of the year 1411 so that the bishop of Vintimille forgives in Sospel his episcopal inaccuracies during the Schism.

The Act of Dédition in Savoy

Vis-a-vis the war of succession for the crown of Provence, started by the assassination of the queen Jeanne, Sospel, just like the whole of the County of Nice, fact act of dédition in Savoy in 1388. Follows for Sospel one long period of prosperity, intersected by terrible epidemics with plague. The allegiance of the counts de Tende (famous Lascaris) to the count de Savoie allows finally free movement of the goods between Nice and Turin, for the greatest benefit of the community of Sospel. From second half of the 15th century, the Vaudoise heresy starts to be established in the valleys and of large bûchers are organized, which blocks the flourishing trade by no means. But a major fact all will call in long-term question: in December 1481, Provence is attached to France. The county of Piedmont-Savoy makes knowledge with a new neighbor: the powerful kingdom of France.
Since 1614 and until 1796, Sospel is the seat of the one of the four prefectures within the competence of the Sénat of Nice.

Sospel during the French revolution and the First Empire

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Restoration of 1815 with fastening in France

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The second world war

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Sospel was a very important village with the Middle Ages with the passage of the road of Salt (existence of a castle there remain still some ruins). Presence also of many alchemists at the time.

Administration

|- | align=right| 1971 || || Mr. Paul Gianotti ||align=" center" | ||

Demography

Places and monuments

• the Pont-Vieux is certainly the symbol and the most romantic place of the city, it spans Bévéra which cuts in two parts the city. A similar bridge can have to exist since the 12th century. The two arcs apparently were replaced in 1823 on which the rebuilding was based. Its central tower was used as tollbooth between the Piedmont and the the Mediterranean of famous Royal Route of Salt between Nice and Turin. It was entirely restored by the Art schools in 1953 with materials used on the spot, after the damage causes in 1944 at the time of the engagements for the release of the valley. It currently shelters in this tower the seasonal office of the Park of Mercantour.
• the cathedral Saint Michel : located on a place bordered of houses at the arcades of the the Middle Ages, it is of style Baroque, only the bell-tower of the 11th century is time lombard E. The top of the frontage is time Romance pre-baroque . The two statues inside the niches represent the guards of the town of Sospel “Saint-Hippolyte and Saint-Absende”. On the left, inside the cathedral, draws up the “Immaculate Virgin of Sospel”. This retable with three shutters was carried out by François Bréa member of a family of painters niçois of XVe and beginning of the 16th centuries, and on the line the Retable of the virgin of pity out of carved wood.

Personalities related to the commune

On the left, while leaving the church, a house on arcades carries a marble plate recalling that the pope Pie VII placed the August 10th there 1809 when, on the orders of Napoleon i, it far away from the Papal States and was brought in France. The place St Michel has often provides the film framework of time (Bag of balls, the mask of iron and celebrates it Fanfan the Tulip with Gerard Philippe etc).

Gallery

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