Villefranche-sur-Saône
Encyclopedia
Villefranche-sur-Saône is a commune
in the Rhône department in eastern France
.
It lies 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Saône River, and is around 25 kilometres (16 mi)north of Lyon
. The inhabitants of the town are called Caladois.
and Benjamin Biolay
, as well as football player hopeful Grégory Bettiol
were born in Villefranche-sur-Saône.
(Bôjor / Biôjœr), and became in the 14th century the capital of the Beaujolais
(Biôjolês) province. It endured three sieges in the 15th and 16th centuries. The town walls were taken down early in the 19th century.
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Rhône department in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It lies 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Saône River, and is around 25 kilometres (16 mi)north of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. The inhabitants of the town are called Caladois.
Notable people
The popular French singers Coralie ClémentCoralie Clément
Coralie Clément is a French singer.-Biography:Clément was born into a family of musicians, her father a clarinetist, and studied the violin from the age of six but later quit. Her brother, Benjamin Biolay, also a singer, has written for Henri Salvador and wrote and produced her own debut, as well...
and Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay is a French singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record producer. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément, whose two albums he wrote and produced, and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroianni, the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni.His low-key vocal style is...
, as well as football player hopeful Grégory Bettiol
Grégory Bettiol
Grégory Bettiol is a French footballer currently playing for Troyes AC.Since he the age of 14, he was trained in the youth sections and player development program of Olympique Lyonnais.-Olympique Lyonnais:...
were born in Villefranche-sur-Saône.
History
Villefranche-sur-Saône was founded in 1212 by Guichard IV, count of BeaujeuBeaujeu, Rhône
Beaujeu is a commune of the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies between Mâcon and Lyon.Beaujeu gives its name to the famous wine region of Beaujolais , a former province of France of which it is the historical capital...
(Bôjor / Biôjœr), and became in the 14th century the capital of the Beaujolais
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes...
(Biôjolês) province. It endured three sieges in the 15th and 16th centuries. The town walls were taken down early in the 19th century.
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 RiverSaône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
.