Lac de Serre-Ponçon, reservoir in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in southeast France
It is located between Gap and Briançon and at the eastern end of one of the largest artificial lakes in Western Europe: the Lac de Serre-Ponçon.
The Canadian town of Embrun, Ontario was named after Embrun in 1856.
History
Embrun was formerly known as Ebrodunum (Ἐβρόδουνον in Greek language sources). There is some variation in the writing of the first part of the name. It is Epebrodunum in Strabo's text, but later translators corrected it. Strabo (iv.) says that from Tarasco to the borders of the Vocontii and the beginning of the ascent of the Alps, through the Druentia and Caballio, is 63 miles; and from thence to the other boundaries of the Vocontii, to the kingdom of Cottius (the Alpes Cottiae), to the village of Ebrodunum, 99 miles. Ebrodunum was in the civitas (tribal state) of the Caturiges, and just on the borders of the Vocontii, as it appears.
The position of Ebrodunum is easily determined by the itineraries and the name. Ptolemy (iii. 1) mentions Eborodunum as the city of the Caturiges, and no other. In the Jerusalem Itinerary Ebrodunum is called Mansio, like Caturiges (modern Chorges), which was also in the territory of the Caturiges. There are Roman remains at Chorges, and none are mentioned at Embrun, though it appears that the cathedral of Embrun is built on the site of a Roman temple, or that some of the materials of a temple were used for it.
Ebrodunum was, for a time, the capital of the Roman province of Alpes Maritimae.
Embrun was the see of a bishopric since the fourth century, which became a Metropolitan archbishopric in the fourteenth century and was suppressed in the French Revolution.
Population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1793
2,380
—
1800
3,125
+3.97%
1806
3,301
+0.92%
1821
3,002
−0.63%
1831
3,062
+0.20%
1836
3,169
+0.69%
1841
4,373
+6.65%
1846
4,453
+0.36%
1851
4,794
+1.49%
1856
4,736
−0.24%
1861
4,287
−1.97%
1866
4,183
−0.49%
1872
3,751
−1.80%
1876
3,957
+1.35%
1881
4,008
+0.26%
1886
4,481
+2.26%
1891
4,017
−2.16%
1896
3,430
−3.11%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1901
3,505
+0.43%
1906
3,752
+1.37%
1911
3,556
−1.07%
1921
2,407
−3.83%
1926
2,802
+3.09%
1931
2,711
−0.66%
1936
2,962
+1.79%
1946
2,677
−1.01%
1954
3,119
+1.93%
1962
3,850
+2.67%
1968
4,273
+1.75%
1975
4,575
+0.98%
1982
5,214
+1.89%
1990
5,793
+1.32%
1999
6,152
+0.67%
2007
6,345
+0.39%
2012
6,143
−0.64%
2017
6,155
+0.04%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Embrun features an oceanic climate (Cfb) with strong continental influences (Dfb). Winters are rather cold and snowy. Winter nights are very cold (about −3 °C (27 °F)) compare to the other French cities. That's because Embrun is very far from the French coasts, and near the mountains. It creates a severe climate throughout the year. In spite of the cold winters, summers tend to be hot and hazy. The afternoon average temperatures are around 28 °C (82 °F), but can sometimes exceed 35 °C (95 °F).
Climate data for Embrun (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1947−present)
