Plombières-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [plɔ̃bjɛʁ le bɛ̃] ) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in eastern France. It was the seat of the former canton of Plombières-les-Bains.

Plombières-les-Bains
A general view of Plombières-les-Bains
A general view of Plombières-les-Bains
Coat of arms of Plombières-les-Bains
Location of Plombières-les-Bains
Map
Plombières-les-Bains is located in France
Plombières-les-Bains
Plombières-les-Bains
Plombières-les-Bains is located in Grand Est
Plombières-les-Bains
Plombières-les-Bains
Coordinates: 47°58′02″N 6°27′50″E / 47.9672°N 6.4639°E / 47.9672; 6.4639
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentVosges
ArrondissementÉpinal
CantonLe Val-d'Ajol
IntercommunalityCC Porte des Vosges Méridionales
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Lydie Barbaux[1]
Area
1
27.2 km2 (10.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,571
 • Density58/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
88351 /88370
Elevation335–576 m (1,099–1,890 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Les bains refers to the hot springs in the area, whose properties were first discovered by the Romans. In succeeding centuries, its baths were visited by Montaigne, Voltaire, the Dukes of Guise, the Dukes of Lorraine, Beaumarchais, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Charles XIV John, Napoléon III, Berlioz, Lamartine and Alfred de Musset. It is still a spa town with many buildings from the Second French Empire including the Church Saint Amé built with the financial support of Napoléon III.

The ancient steps, interior decorations and the mosaic of the Roman bath in Plombières-les-Bains

Plombières Agreement edit

The "Pavilion of the Princes" at Plombières, was renamed following the meeting on 21 July 1858 between Napoleon III and Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who secretly negotiated the “Plombières Agreement” as they sat alone together in a small horse-drawn carriage slowly progressing round and round the town. This accord granted French aid to the cause of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in return for the territories of Savoy and Nice, which thereafter became French.

Plombieres ice cream edit

In Russia, the highest of the state standard quality categories of ice cream, containing at least 12% butterfat, is known as "plombir" (пломбир), a slight distortion of the pronunciation of "Plombières" in Russian. According to Dmitry Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language and Max Vasmer's authoritative "Etymological dictionary of the Russian language", the French dessert plombieres is named after Plombières, whose name has been associated with extravagant frozen desserts since the late 19th century. But the name of the molded French sweet is probably taken from the mold.[3][4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Quinzio, Geraldine M. Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making. University of California Press. p. 69.
  4. ^ Gaudry, François-Régis. Let's Eat France!: 1,250 specialty foods, 375 iconic recipes, 350 topics, 260 personalities, plus hundreds of maps, charts, tricks, tips, and anecdotes and everything else you want to know about the food of France. Artisan Books. p. 43.

External links edit

 
Napoleon baths