Sospel (French pronunciation: [sɔspɛl]; Mentonasc: Sospèl, Italian Sospello) is a commune (municipality) and former schismatic episcopal seat (1381-1418) in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France near the Italian border and not far from Monte Carlo.
![]() | This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (December 2008) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Sospel | |
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Commune | |
![]() A view of Sospel, with the River Bévéra flowing beneath the old bridge | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
Location of Sospel ![]() | |
![]() ![]() Sospel ![]() ![]() Sospel | |
Coordinates: 43°52′41″N 7°26′57″E | |
Country | France |
Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
Department | Alpes-Maritimes |
Arrondissement | Nice |
Canton | Contes |
Intercommunality | CA Riviera Française |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Jean-Mario Lorenzi[1] |
Area 1 | 62.39 km2 (24.09 sq mi) |
Population | 3,805 |
• Density | 61/km2 (160/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 06136 /06380 |
Elevation | 257–1,737 m (843–5,699 ft) (avg. 354 m or 1,161 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
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 cathedral.
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-bishops (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.
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.
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Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2017)[4] |
Under the 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.
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