Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Gascon: Vilanuèva d'Olt) is a town and commune in southwestern France, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is a subprefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department. The commune was formerly named Villeneuve-d'Agen.

Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Subprefecture and commune
Bridge over the Lot river
Coat of arms
Location of Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot Show map of France Villeneuve-sur-Lot Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 44°24′29″N 0°42′18″E
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Lot-et-Garonne
Arrondissement	Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Canton	Villeneuve-sur-Lot-1 Villeneuve-sur-Lot-2
Intercommunality	Grand Villeneuvois
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Patrick Cassany[1]
Area 1	81.32 km2 (31.40 sq mi)
Population  (2014)	23,263
• Density	290/km2 (740/sq mi)
Demonym	Villeneuvois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	47323 /47300
Elevation	42–209 m (138–686 ft) (avg. 126 m or 413 ft)
Website	www.ville-villeneuve-sur-lot.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and of 2 cantons in the department: Villeneuve-sur-Lot-1 and Villeneuve-sur-Lot-2.

History

The region where the city is was first populated by the Romans. In the 11th century, a Benedictine abbey was constructed near where is the city now. There was a small village of potters and farmers around the abbey. Between 1254 and 1263, Alphonse of Poitiers had a bastide built. He also gave the bastide city rights. The bastide has a rectangular look, with a central square.

Because of its privileged geographical situation on the river lot, the city played an important role in wars of the region:

• In the Hundred Years' War
• In the Huguenot wars
• In the Fronde, a civil war in France.

Geography

The commune has an area of 81.3 km² (31.4 sq mi).^[2] Its average altitude is 126 m (413 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 56 m (184 ft).^[3]

Villeneuve-sur-Lot and its neighboring communes

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is surrounded by the communes Lédat, Castelnaud-de-Gratecambe, La Sauvetat-sur-Lède, Monflanquin, Savignac-sur-Leyze, Saint-Aubin, Trentels, Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot, Penne-d'Agenais, Hautefage-la-Tour, Pujols and Bias.

The Lot river flows through the city of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. The Lède river, a tributary of the Lot, flows through the northern part of the commune.

Climate

The climate of Villeneuve-sur-Lot is an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

Population

The inhabitants of Villeneuve-sur-Lot are known, in French, as Villeneuvois (women: Villeneuvoises).^[4]

With a population of 23,263,^[5] Villeneuve-sur-Lot has a population density of 286 inhabitants/km².

Evolution of the population in Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Administration

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a subprefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department since 1800. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of 2 cantons:^[6]

1. Villeneuve-sur-Lot-1, formed with a part of Villeneuve-sur-Lot-Nord and the commune Lédat, with 16,376 inhabitants (2014).
2. Villeneuve-sur-Lot-2, formed with a part of Villeneuve-sur-Lot-Sud and the communes Bias, Hautefage-la-Tour, Pujols, Saint-Antoine-de-Ficalba and Sainte-Colombe-de-Villeneuve, with 17,055 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality Grand Villeneuvois (French: Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Villeneuvois).

Twin towns

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is twinned with:

• Ávila, Castile and León, Spain
• Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
• Neustadt bei Coburg, Germany
• San Donà di Piave, Veneto, Italy
• Troon, Scotland

Gallery

• 
  View from the left side of the Lot
• 
  Porte de Pujols
• 
  Pont des Cieutat over the Lot
• 
  Sainte-Catherine church

Related pages

• Arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot
• Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department