Villeneuve-sur-Lot

History

Villeneuve was founded in 1254 by Alphonse, Count of Poitiers, brother of Louis IX, on the site of the town of Gajac, which had been deserted during the Albigensian Crusade.

By the early 20th century, Villeneuve-sur-Lot was an important agricultural centre and had a large trade in plums (prunes d'ente); the preparation of preserved plums and the tinning of peas and beans were major industries. The important mill of Gajac stood on the bank of the Lot a little above the town.

Population

| graph-pos = bottom |1793 |10125 |1800 |9600 |1806 |10727 |1821 |9211 |1831 |10652 |1836 |11222 |1841 |12337 |1846 |13088 |1851 |13212 |1856 |13834 |1861 |13830 |1866 |13114 |1872 |13681 |1876 |14448 |1881 |14560 |1886 |14693 |1891 |13798 |1896 |13561 |1901 |13594 |1906 |13540 |1911 |13181 |1921 |11350 |1926 |12047 |1931 |12197 |1936 |12655 |1946 |17055 |1954 |15784 |1962 |17295 |1968 |21682 |1975 |22307 |1982 |23045 |1990 |22782 |1999 |22782 |2007 |23436 |2012 |23377 |2017 |22064

Sights

The main quarter of the town is located on the right bank of the Lot River and is linked to the quarter on the left bank by a bridge from the 13th century, the principal arch of which, constructed during the reign of Louis XIII in place of two older arches, has a span of 36 m and a height of 18 m. On the left bank, portions of the 13th century ramparts, altered and surmounted by machicolations of the 15th century, remain, and high square towers rise above the gates to the north-east and southwest, known respectively as the Porte de Paris and Porte de Pujols.

On the right bank, boulevards have for the most part taken the place of the ramparts. Arcades of the 13th century surround the Place La Fayette, and monumental houses of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries are to be seen in various parts of the town. The church of St Etienne is late Gothic style. On the left bank of the Lot, 3 km S.S.W. of Villeneuve, are the 13th-century walls of Pujols located.

The buildings of the formet abbey of Eysses, about 2 km to the N.E., are mainly from the 17th century and serve as a departmental prison and penitentiary settlement. The principal hospital, the hospice St Cyr, is a pretty building standing in beautiful gardens.

The Pont De La Liberation, which spans the Lot river, is a 96.2 m arch bridge built between 1910 and 1919. When it was completed it was the largest single span concrete arch in the world. It was designed by Eugène Freyssinet, one of the pioneers in using reinforced concrete.

Representations in popular culture

The principal action of the feature film Wild Reeds (1994) directed by André Téchiné is set in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in 1962.

Notable people

• Mikaël Brageot (born 1987), pilot, Red Bull Air Race competitor
• Benoît Broutchoux (1879–1944), anarchist
• Nicolas Cazalé (born 1977), actor
• Charles Derennes (1882–1930), writer, winner of the 1924 edition of the Prix Femina
• Georges Leygues (1857–1933), politician of the Third Republic
• Madeleine Pauliac (1912-1946), medical doctor and member French Resistance
• Caroline Paulus (born 1959), actress, fashion model and singer
• Ousmane Dieng (born 2003), NBA basketball player

Twin towns – sister cities

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is twinned with:

• ESP Ávila, Spain
• CIV Bouaké, Ivory Coast
• GER Neustadt bei Coburg, Germany
• ITA San Donà di Piave, Italy
• SCO Troon, Scotland

References

References

1. (12 March 2025). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises.
2. {{EB1911
3. {{Cassini-Ehess. 40317. Villeneuve-sur-Lot
4. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-47323#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE
5. "Ma Ville (Menu) => Jumelages". Villeneuve-sur-Lot.