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
Subprefecture and commune
Villefranche from St-Jean d'Aigremont
Coat of arms
Location of Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Villefranche-de-Rouergue Show map of France Villefranche-de-Rouergue Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 44°21′12″N 2°02′06″E
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Aveyron
Arrondissement	Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Canton	Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Intercommunality	Le Grand Villefranchois
Government
• Mayor (2014-2020)	Serge Roques[1]
Area 1	45.85 km2 (17.70 sq mi)
Population  (2014)	11,822
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Demonym	Villefranchois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	12300 /12200
Elevation	237–544 m (778–1,785 ft) (avg. 391 m or 1,283 ft)
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.

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.

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:

• Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Pula, Croatia
• Sarzana, Italy

Gallery

• 
  City Hall
• 
  Municipal theatre
• 
  Notre-Dame square
• 
  Pont des Consuls or Pont-Vieux