Maison romaine

Maison romaine is one of the most unusual buildings in Épinal — a villa modeled on ancient Roman architecture, standing right in the heart of this eastern French town.

Construction ran from 1892 to 1905, designed by architect Jean Broussard. The client was Madame Leclerc-Morel, an heiress to the fortune behind the Grands Moulins de Strasbourg flour mills, one of the region's major industrial fortunes. She wanted a residence directly inspired by a Pompeian villa, complete with an atrium, colonnades, and wall paintings echoing Roman models. At the same time, the architect had to reconcile that Mediterranean blueprint with the harsh Vosges climate, so fireplaces were built into the corners of the house to support underfloor heating.

Events, however, did not go as planned for the woman who commissioned it. Madame Leclerc-Morel's fortune collapsed before the building was finished, and she never got to see the completed residence. In 1902 the town of Épinal purchased the property, and a few years later it became home to the municipal library, which operated there until 2007.

What will you see inside?

The entrance hall consists of two covered atriums along with two impluviums — the characteristic sunken basins found in Roman houses, designed to collect rainwater. This part of the building most strongly evokes the atmosphere of a Pompeian villa. The entire property — the villa itself, its outbuildings, a former winter garden, boundary walls, and grounds — was listed as a historic monument on November 22, 1990.

Since 2022, Maison romaine has served as the headquarters of Épinal's culture and heritage department. The building also hosts a program supporting artistic creation, built around research-and-creation residencies in the visual arts, alongside partnership projects and artistic commissions.

How do you get there?

Maison romaine sits in central Épinal, a town in the Vosges department well connected by rail to Nancy and Strasbourg. The easiest way to reach it is on foot from the town center or the train station — it's an easy addition to a walk through the old town and along the banks of the Moselle river.

When should you visit?

Because the building now serves an administrative and cultural function, it's worth checking current opening times and the events schedule before visiting — Maison romaine occasionally opens to the public for exhibitions, artist residencies, or heritage days. Spring and autumn are pleasant seasons for a walking tour of Épinal that takes in this site along with the town's other attractions.

Frequently asked questions

What is Maison romaine in Épinal? It's a historic villa built at the turn of the 20th century in a style inspired by Roman villa architecture, today serving as the headquarters of the town's culture and heritage department.

Who built it? Architect Jean Broussard, commissioned by Madame Leclerc-Morel, an heiress to the Grands Moulins de Strasbourg fortune.

Can visitors go inside? The building now serves administrative and cultural functions, so access depends on current events and artist residencies — it's worth checking the latest schedule.

Why is it called a "Roman" house? The name refers to its architecture, inspired by a Pompeian villa — with atriums, impluviums, and colonnades typical of ancient Roman houses, adapted here to the Vosges climate.