mining town
Montsou
A fictional coal-mining town in northern France, based on Anzin and the Valenciennes coalfield. The setting of Germinal — flat, black, dominated by the pit-heads, slag heaps, and the devouring mouth of the Voreux mine. Zola researched it exhaustively, living among miners to capture the conditions accurately.
Ville minière fictive du Nord de la France. Décor de Germinal, avec le puits Voreux, les terrils et les corons.