Villefranche-de-Rouergue

Villefranche-de-Rouergue (Occitan: Vilafranca de Roergue) is a commune in southern France in the Aveyron department, in the region of Occitanie. It is the sous-prefecture (capital) of the arrondissement of the same name in the Aveyron department.

Villefranche-de-Rouergue

Vue Villefranche-de-Rouergue 271206.jpg
Villefranche from St-Jean d'Aigremont
Coat of arms of Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Administration
Country France
Region Midi-Pyrénées
Department Aveyron
Arrondissement Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Canton Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Intercommunality Le Grand Villefranchois
Mayor Serge Roques[1]
(2014-2020)
Statistics
Elevation 237–544 m (778–1,785 ft)
(avg. 391 m/1,283 ft)
Land area1 45.85 km2 (17.70 sq mi)
Population2 11,822  (2014)
 - Density 258/km2 (670/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 12300/ 12200
Website www.villefranchederouergue.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

History

In 1252, Alphonse de Poitiers, Count of Toulouse, sent Jean d'Arcis, Seneschal of Rouergue, to build a city along the Aveyron as a new capital for Rouergue (an old French province): Villefranche-de-Rouergue. From 1369 to the French Revolution, Villefranche-de-Rouergue was the capital of Rouergue.[2]

Geography

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is in the valley of the Aveyron river along the line that separates the Causses (limestone plateaus) from the Ségala geographical region.

There are mines of copper, lead, tin, iron and silver.

The Alzou river joins in the city, as a right tributary, the Aveyron river.

Villefranche-de-Rouergue has an area of 45.9 km2 (17.7 sq mi),[3] and its average altitude in the city is 391 m (1,283 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 323 m (1,060 ft).[4]

 

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is surrounded by the communes Saint-Rémy, Maleville, La Bastide-l'Évêque, Morlhon-le-Haut, Sanvensa, La Rouquette, Savignac and Toulonjac.

Climate

The climate of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.[5]

Population

The inhabitants of Villefranche-de-Rouergue are known, in French, as Villefranchois (women: Villefranchoises).[6]

With a population of 11,822,[7] Villefranche-de-Rouergue has a population density of 258 inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Villefranche-de-Rouergue

Villefranche-de-Rouergue forms with Toulonjac the urban area of Villefranche-de-Rouergue with a population of 12,644 inhabitants (2013) and an area of 53.1 km2 (20.5 sq mi).[8] This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, formed by 16 communes with a population of 20,180 inhabitants and an area of 357.8 km2 (138.1 sq mi).[9]

Administration

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is a subprefecture of the Aveyron department, the capital of the arrondissement of Villefranche-de-Rouergue and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of the canton of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, with 13,282 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality Le Grand Villefranchois (French: Communauté de communes du Grand Villefranchois).

Sister cities

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is twinned with:

Gallery

Villefranche-de-Rouergue Media

References

  1. "Le conseil municipal" (in French). Mairie de Millau. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  2. "Villefranche, ville nouvelle du moyen âge" (in French). Mairie de Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  3. "Commune de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12300)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  4. "Villefranche-de-Rouergue". Map-France.com. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  5. "La ville de Villefranche-de-Rouergue". Annuaire-Mairie.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  6. "Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12200)" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 27 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  7. "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  8. "Unité urbaine de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12301)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  9. "Aire urbaine de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (255)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

Related pages

Other websites