Villefranche du Périgord, a French bastide
Villefranche du Périgord is nestled in the heart of the Périgord Noir region (Black Perigord), about twenty kilometres from Fumel and Belvès, and is the oldest of the eighteen bastides of the Périgord.
Founded in 1261 by Alphonse de Poitiers, Count of Toulouse and brother of King Saint-Louis, this bastide follows the grid plan characteristic of bastides in southern France. It boasts, however, a rectangular plan, which follows the elongated shape of the plateau on which it was built.
Framed by the Tourtillou and Cavérieux rivers, this plateau offers a breathtaking view of the Lémance valley, a tributary of the River Lot.
Villefranche du Périgord came under the ownership of Edward I of England, who recognised its potential for expansion and development. At the request of the inhabitants, Edward I had ramparts erected around the city in 1290, further fortifying its position and ensuring its protection during tumultuous periods.
Villefranche du Périgord during the various conflicts
Villefranche du Périgord changed hands several times during the Hundred Years’ War and inevitably suffered periods of decline.
However, King Charles V in 1358 and then Louis XI in 1463 reaffirmed the privileges initially granted by Edward I of England when they captured the bastide.
Under their patronage, Villefranche du Périgord was thus restored and renovated.
Unfortunately, Protestants besieged the town in 1577 during the Wars of Religion, burning it, pillaging it, and destroying its ramparts.
However, once the conflict ended, the inhabitants rebuilt their bastide!
They were also able to save part of the town’s architectural heritage, making it, even today, one of the most beautiful bastides in the Périgord region.
Villefranche du-Périgord still boasts charming half-timbered and limestone houses with turrets built in the 13th to the 16th centuries.
Andrones, narrow alleyways, intentionally designed to prevent the fires so common in the Middle Ages, crisscross the town.
The Place du Marché (Market Square), where markets and fairs were held for centuries, is still the heart of Villefranche du Périgord. This square is still surrounded by medieval houses built on vaulted galleries or corner structures, and boast a superb covered market hall.
Magnificently rebuilt and completed in 1818, it indeed features an impressive timber frame supported by elegant Tuscan columns. It is built of chestnut wood, a species introduced to the region in the 19th century and known for its spider-repellent properties. No spiderwebs to clean then!
The Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption is another landmark. It was built in the early 1860s by the renowned architect Paul Abadie, the designer of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre, to replace the 17th-century church.
Villefranche-du-Périgord is a bastide town just waiting to be explored!
Department of Dordogne
Coordinates Villefranche du Perigord: Lat 44.629660 – Long 1.080006
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Covered market and House with turret and House with arcades and Header by MOSSOT CC BY-SA 3.0
