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.
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Villefranche-de-Rouergue | |
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| Villefranche seen from the air | |
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| 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]
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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.
Population
The inhabitants of Villefranche-de-Rouergue are known, in French, as Villefranchois (women: Villefranchoises).[5]
With a population of 11,822,[6] 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).[7] 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).[8]
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
City Hall
Municipal theatre
Notre-Dame square
Pont des Consuls or Pont-Vieux
Villefranche-de-Rouergue Media
Marketplace on Place Notre-Dame
References
- ↑ Le conseil municipal (in French)Mairie de Millau. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ↑ Villefranche, ville nouvelle du moyen âge (in French)Mairie de Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ↑ Commune de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12300) (in French). Comparateur de territoireInstitut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ↑ Villefranche-de-RouergueMap-France.com. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ↑ Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12200) (in French)habitants.fr. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ↑ Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes (in French). Populations légales 2014Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ↑ Unité urbaine de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12301) (in French). Comparateur de territoireInstitut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ↑ Aire urbaine de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (255) (in French). Comparateur de territoireInstitut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
Related pages
Other websites
- Mairie de Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Official website Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- Office de Tourisme de Villefranche-de-Rouergue (in French)