Villefranche-de-Rouergue

**Villefranche-de-Rouergue** () 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.

## 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.

## 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 , and its average altitude in the city is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

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*).

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

**Evolution of the population in Villefranche-de-Rouergue**

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 bar:1990 at: 12291 fontsize:S text: 12,291 shift:(-18,5)
 bar:1999 at: 11919 fontsize:S text: 11,919 shift:(-18,5)
 bar:2006 at: 12040 fontsize:S text: 12,040 shift:(-18,5)
 bar:2014 at: 11822 fontsize:S text: 11,822 shift:(-18,5)

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 . 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 .

## Administration 
Villefranche-de-Rouergue is a subprefecture of the Aveyron department, the capital of the *arrondissement* of Villefranche-de-Rouergue and the administrative centre () of the canton of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, with 13,282 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality *Le Grand Villefranchois* ().

### Sister cities 
Villefranche-de-Rouergue is twinned with:
*  Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*  Pula, Croatia
*  Sarzana, Italy

## Gallery

File:Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Hôtel de ville -1.JPG|City Hall
File:Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Théâtre -2.JPG|Municipal theatre
File:Villefranche-de-Rouerge 12.jpg|Notre-Dame square
File:Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Pont des Consuls -1.JPG|*Pont des Consuls* or *Pont-Vieux*

## References
## Related pages
* Arrondissements of the Aveyron department
* Communes of the Aveyron department

## Other websites
*Mairie de Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Official website   
* Office de Tourisme de Villefranche-de-Rouergue