View source for Sospel

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{short description|Commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France}}
{{Expand French|topic=geo|date=December 2008|Sospel}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Sospel
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = Sospel-la-Bevera-2.jpg
|caption            = A view of Sospel, with the [[Bévéra|River Bévéra]] flowing beneath the old bridge
|image coat of arms = Coat of arms of Sospel.png
|image flag         = Flag of Sospel.png
|arrondissement     = Nice
|canton             = Contes
|INSEE              = 06136
|postal code        = 06380
|mayor              = Jean-Mario Lorenzi<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera Française|CA Riviera Française]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|43.8781|7.4492|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 354
|elevation min m    = 257
|elevation max m    = 1737
|area km2           = 62.39
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
[[File:Viaduc du Caramel2.jpg|thumb|Tramway from Menton to Sospel]]
'''Sospel''' ({{IPA|fr|sɔspɛl}}; [[Mentonasc]]: ''Sospèl''; {{langx|it|Sospello}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] (municipality) and former schismatic episcopal seat (1381-1418) in the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] [[Departments of France|department]] in southeastern [[France]] near the [[Italy|Italian]] border and not far from [[Monte Carlo]]. And, from 1912 to 1932, Sospel even had a tramway system from [[Menton]] which had a length of 17,279 meters.
== History and remains ==
[[Image:Sospel-Cattedrale.jpg|thumb|275px|left|Sospel's former Cathedral]]
The town dates back to the 5th century, when it served as an important staging post on the royal road from [[Nice]] to [[Turin]]. Its main monument is the former [[Sospel Cathedral|cathedral]].
* The old [[toll bridge]] used by travellers to cross the [[Bévéra]], built in the 13th century, still stands. It was bombed by the Germans during World War II to prevent contact between the French Resistance ("The Maquis") and the Italians. Much of the town was destroyed. Renovated after [[World War II]] it now houses the tourist office.
* The ruins of a tower, part of a [[château]] (residential castle) belonging to the [[counts of Provence]], are all that remain of the 14th century [[city walls]].
== Ecclesiastical history ==
During the [[Western Schism]], the [[Diocese of Ventimiglia]] (Vintimille in French) was split : the canonical bishop, still residing in [[Ventimiglia]], obedient to the Pope in Rome, controlled the territories dependent of the Italian dogal [[Republic of Genoa]], but an uncanonical line of rival [[anti-bishop]]s (1381-1418), obedient to the [[Antipope of Avignon]], established their schismatical see 'of Ventimiglia' in Sospel(lo), with sway over the diocese's 'French' territories dependent on the [[County of Savoy]] and the lordship of [[Tende]].
;''Suffragan anti-bishops of (Ventimiglia at) Sospel(lo)
* Bertrando Imberti, [[Friars Minor]] (O.F.M. (2 December 1381 – death 1386)
* Pietro Marinaco, O.F.M. (27 August 1392 – 4 September 1409), next Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Famagosta|Famagosta]] (on [[Cyprus]], now a [[titular see]] as Famagusta)
* Bartolomeo de Giudici (22 June 1408 – deposed 1412 - death 1418)
After Ventimiglia's diocesan authority was restored in 1412 as the jurisdiction now known as the  [[Diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo]], Sospel was assigned to what is now the [[Diocese of Nice]], France, and its former cathedral was demoted to simple church.
== Population ==
{{Historical populations
|align = none
|cols = 2
|percentages = pagr
|source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|36614|Sospel}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-06136#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|1793 |2453
|1800 |2990
|1806 |3307
|1822 |3620
|1838 |4394
|1848 |4437
|1858 |3818
|1861 |3936
|1866 |3912
|1872 |3547
|1876 |3465
|1881 |3425
|1886 |3695
|1891 |3887
|1896 |3756
|1901 |3570
|1906 |3768
|1911 |3529
|1921 |3361
|1926 |3070
|1931 |3705
|1936 |3815
|1946 |2156
|1954 |2181
|1962 |2321
|1968 |2582
|1975 |1828
|1982 |2171
|1990 |2592
|1999 |2885
|2007 |3514
|2012 |3568
|2017 |3831
}}
== Climate ==
Under the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen system]], Sospel features an [[oceanic climate]] (Cfb) with [[warm-summer mediterranean climate]] (Csb) influences. Influenced by its low altitude, Sospel experiences light frosts in winter and cool nights during the summer.
{{Weather box
|location = Sospel, Alpes-Maritimes, Alt : 387 m
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 6.7
|Feb high C = 7.0
|Mar high C = 10.3
|Apr high C = 13.2
|May high C = 16.8
|Jun high C = 20.8
|Jul high C = 23.1
|Aug high C = 23.2
|Sep high C = 19.5
|Oct high C = 15.7
|Nov high C = 10.7
|Dec high C = 7.6
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = 2.7
|Feb mean C = 2.7
|Mar mean C = 5.9
|Apr mean C = 9.2
|May mean C = 13.2
|Jun mean C = 17.4
|Jul mean C = 19.6
|Aug mean C = 19.6
|Sep mean C = 15.9
|Oct mean C = 12.2
|Nov mean C = 7.0
|Dec mean C = 3.6
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = -0.6
|Feb low C = -1.3
|Mar low C = 1.6
|Apr low C = 4.9
|May low C = 8.9
|Jun low C = 13.0
|Jul low C = 15.4
|Aug low C = 15.5
|Sep low C = 12.1
|Oct low C = 8.8
|Nov low C = 3.7
|Dec low C = 0.3
|year low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 74
|Feb precipitation mm = 63
|Mar precipitation mm = 80
|Apr precipitation mm = 124
|May precipitation mm = 120
|Jun precipitation mm = 110
|Jul precipitation mm = 79
|Aug precipitation mm = 72
|Sep precipitation mm = 95
|Oct precipitation mm = 115
|Nov precipitation mm = 138
|Dec precipitation mm = 86
|source = climate-data.org [https://fr.climate-data.org/europe/france/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/sospel-65820/]
}}
== Sospel in fiction ==
* The town of Sospel is mentioned in [[Daphne du Maurier]]'s novel ''[[Rebecca (novel)|Rebecca]]'', when Max de Winter declines an invitation from annoying social climber Mrs. Van Hopper on the excuse that he is driving to Sospel that day.
* In 1909 it was described in Gaston Leroux's novel, [[The Perfume of the Lady in Black]] (p.&nbsp;151), as
: "a picturesque little city lost between the last counterforces of the Alps, two hours and half from Mentone by coach... It is one of the most retired and quietest corners of France, the most dreaded by revenue officers and by the Alpine hunters. But the road which leads to it is one of the most beautiful in the world."
* Sospel is a setting in the 1977 mystery novel ''All Roads to Sospel'' by [[George Bellairs]].
{{clear left}}
== See also ==
* [[List of Catholic dioceses in France]]
* [[List of medieval bridges in France]]
* [[Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department]]
== References==
{{Reflist}}
== Sources and external links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/sosp0.htm GCatholic - former (anti-)bishopric]
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/france/5309.htm GCatholic, with Google satellite photo-map - St.Michael's church, the former Sospel cathedral]
{{Alpes-Maritimes communes}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Communes of Alpes-Maritimes]]
[[Category:French Riviera]]
[[Category:Monte Carlo Rally]]
[[Category:Alpes-Maritimes communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]