🏛️ Lieu
Patrimoine & Culture
Commune de Senones
📍 Senones, Vosges
· 7 Rue Constant Verlot, 88210 Senones
À propos
The small town of Senones boasts an unusual history, to say the least.
Its name is said to come from the Gallic people of the Sénons, who left their mark, notably in the toponymy of the various villages they traversed on their way to conquer new territories. The name comes from the Gallic senos, meaning ancient, old in Gallic.
In 640, Saint Gondelbert had an abbey built here, which would go on to become a powerful Lorraine abbey over the centuries. Today, the monastery buildings have retained almost all their 18th-century configuration. The church, rebuilt in 1860, retains its medieval bell tower.
A stone's throw from this fine architectural ensemble, the princely residences bear witness to the grandeur and decadence of the Salm dynasty. Indeed, it was on the death of the Duke of Lorraine, Stanislas Leszcynski, that the Counts of Salm, then protectors of Senones Abbey, negotiated their independence in 1751, making Senones the capital of a sovereign state: the Principality of Salm-Salm.
The three princes who succeeded them built two castles and several mansions, which can still be seen today.
The principality, covering some 240 km², prospered for 42 years until the French Revolution, when it was officially annexed to France in 1793.
But the history of this small town, classified as a Petite Cité de Caractère® since November 2020, is not limited to its abbey and principality. The 19th century saw the birth and explosion of the textile industry in Senones. The sale of the abbey and the Prince?s possessions as national property led to the installation in 1806 of the first cotton spinning mill in the Vosges department.
Senones was also severely tested during the two World Wars. Situated on the front line in 1914-1918, Senones suffered many civilian and military casualties. Numerous relics can be seen, notably on the Roche Mère Henry ridge at Mont Pelé, where there is a monument to the glory of the soldiers erected by Mr. Sartorio. In 1944, the town suffered the tragedy of the Deportation, with 245 of the 354 men taken away on October 06 perishing in Concentration Camps.
Today, Senones is a peaceful, welcoming town undergoing constant renewal. Hotels, gîtes, camping sites, caravan parks, tourist residences and local shops make for a pleasant stay. It is at the start of many hiking, cycling and mountain biking trails, and enjoys a privileged geographical location, just a stone's throw from the emblematic sites of Alsace and Lorraine.
Its name is said to come from the Gallic people of the Sénons, who left their mark, notably in the toponymy of the various villages they traversed on their way to conquer new territories. The name comes from the Gallic senos, meaning ancient, old in Gallic.
In 640, Saint Gondelbert had an abbey built here, which would go on to become a powerful Lorraine abbey over the centuries. Today, the monastery buildings have retained almost all their 18th-century configuration. The church, rebuilt in 1860, retains its medieval bell tower.
A stone's throw from this fine architectural ensemble, the princely residences bear witness to the grandeur and decadence of the Salm dynasty. Indeed, it was on the death of the Duke of Lorraine, Stanislas Leszcynski, that the Counts of Salm, then protectors of Senones Abbey, negotiated their independence in 1751, making Senones the capital of a sovereign state: the Principality of Salm-Salm.
The three princes who succeeded them built two castles and several mansions, which can still be seen today.
The principality, covering some 240 km², prospered for 42 years until the French Revolution, when it was officially annexed to France in 1793.
But the history of this small town, classified as a Petite Cité de Caractère® since November 2020, is not limited to its abbey and principality. The 19th century saw the birth and explosion of the textile industry in Senones. The sale of the abbey and the Prince?s possessions as national property led to the installation in 1806 of the first cotton spinning mill in the Vosges department.
Senones was also severely tested during the two World Wars. Situated on the front line in 1914-1918, Senones suffered many civilian and military casualties. Numerous relics can be seen, notably on the Roche Mère Henry ridge at Mont Pelé, where there is a monument to the glory of the soldiers erected by Mr. Sartorio. In 1944, the town suffered the tragedy of the Deportation, with 245 of the 354 men taken away on October 06 perishing in Concentration Camps.
Today, Senones is a peaceful, welcoming town undergoing constant renewal. Hotels, gîtes, camping sites, caravan parks, tourist residences and local shops make for a pleasant stay. It is at the start of many hiking, cycling and mountain biking trails, and enjoys a privileged geographical location, just a stone's throw from the emblematic sites of Alsace and Lorraine.
