Villefranche-sur-Saône
Velafranche (Arpitan)
Subprefecture and commune
A general view of Villefranche-sur-Saône
A general view of Villefranche-sur-Saône
Coat of arms of Villefranche-sur-Saône
Coat of arms
Location of Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône is located in France
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône is located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Coordinates: 45°59′00″N 4°43′00″E / 45.9833°N 4.7167°E / 45.9833; 4.7167
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
DepartmentRhône
ArrondissementVillefranche-sur-Saône
CantonVillefranche-sur-Saône
IntercommunalityCA Villefranche Beaujolais Saône
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Thomas Ravier[1]
Area
1
9.48 km2 (3.66 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2021)[2]
35,913
 • Density3,800/km2 (9,800/sq mi)
DemonymCaladois
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
69264 /69400
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Villefranche-sur-Saône (US: /ˌviːl(ə)ˈfrɒ̃ʃ sʊər ˈsoʊn/,[3] French: [vilfʁɑ̃ʃ syʁ son] ⓘ; Arpitan: Velafranche) is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.

It lies 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the river Saône, and is around 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Lyon. The inhabitants of the town are called Caladois.

History

Villefranche-sur-Saône was founded in 1212 by Guichard IV, count of Beaujeu (Arpitan: Bôjor/Biôjœr), and became in the 14th century the capital of the Beaujolais (Arpitan: Biôjolês) province.[4] It endured three sieges in the 15th and 16th centuries. The town walls were taken down early in the 19th century.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Villefranche-sur-Saône proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Villefranche-sur-Saône absorbed the former communes of Béligny and Ouilly (partly) in 1853.[5]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 4,706—    
1800 4,374−1.04%
1806 5,095+2.58%
1821 5,250+0.20%
1831 6,460+2.10%
1836 7,533+3.12%
1841 6,848−1.89%
1846 7,064+0.62%
1851 7,769+1.92%
1856 11,686+8.51%
1861 11,650−0.06%
1866 12,469+1.37%
1872 12,170−0.40%
1876 12,485+0.64%
1881 13,074+0.93%
1886 12,518−0.87%
1891 12,928+0.65%
1896 13,627+1.06%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 14,793+1.66%
1906 16,031+1.62%
1911 16,388+0.44%
1921 16,588+0.12%
1926 17,339+0.89%
1931 18,188+0.96%
1936 18,871+0.74%
1946 20,017+0.59%
1954 21,703+1.02%
1962 24,516+1.54%
1968 26,338+1.20%
1975 30,341+2.04%
1982 28,881−0.70%
1990 29,542+0.28%
1999 30,647+0.41%
2007 33,840+1.25%
2012 36,241+1.38%
2017 36,857+0.34%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE (1968-2017)[6]

Economy

Industries include wine-trading, metallurgy, textiles, and chemicals.

Transport

The Autoroute du Sud (the principal road from Paris to the south of France) is adjacent to the east of the town, running alongside the Saône.

Portal of Notre-Dame des Marais

Buildings

The church of Notre-Dame des Marais, begun at the end of the 14th and finished in the 16th century, has a tower and spire (rebuilt in 1862), standing to the right of the 15th century façade, in which are carved wooden doors.[4]

Sport

FC Villefranche Beaujolais is based in the town.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Villefranche-sur-Saône is twinned with:[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Villefranche". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Villefranche-sur-Saône". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 77.
  5. 1 2 Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Villefranche-sur-Saône, EHESS (in French).
  6. ↑ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ↑ "Comité des associations de jumelage de Villefranche". villefranche.net (in French). Villefranche-sur-Saône. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
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