Villefranche-de-Conflent

Villefranche -de- Conflent (in Catalan Vilafranca de Conflent ) is a commune with 238 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) in the Pyrenees, at the northern foot of the Pic du Canigou on the banks of Tet. It is located in the Languedoc- Roussillon region in the department of Pyrénées- Orientales, about 50 km west of Perpignan and about 5 km west of Prades. The municipality is part of the Pyrénées Catalanes Regional Natural Park.

History

Villefranche -de- Conflent was founded in 1092 by Guillem Ramon, Count of Cerdanya, in order to secure the valleys of the Tet, the Cady and Rotja against invasions. In the same year the Bishop of Elne granted permission to build the church of Saint -Jacques. 1095 was the place tax privileges and the name of Vila Franca. He had then urban character and was the capital of the Conflent region. Villefranche always had a military function. The oldest fortifications date from the 11th century. They were supplemented in the 12th century by eight towers and reinforced by six bastions in the 17th century.

In almost 50 years Villefranche has lost more than half its population.

Attractions

• Villefranche -de- Conflent was declared by the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France one of the most beautiful villages in France.

• The medieval city wall. Its origins date from the 11th century, from 1681 it was expanded and increased. It is fully intact to this day.

• The church of Saint -Jacques from the 12th century with two parallel vessels.

• Above the town, 734 underground levels high, lies the Fort Liberia. The fortress was built in 1681 by the famous fortress builder Vauban and under Napoléon III. expanded. It contained among other things a women's prison in the course of time. In 2008, the fort was taken along with other fortifications by Vauban in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• A well known tourist attraction is the nearby Grotto of Canalettes.

Traffic

The town is located on the National Road 116 from Perpignan to Bourg- Madame. On the eastern outskirts of the village the road department 116 starts to nearby Vernet -les- Bains.

At the northeastern outskirts of the village closest train station Villefranche - Vernet -les- Bains. Here end the standard gauge railway line from Perpignan and the coming of Latour- de -Carol narrow gauge railway Ligne de Cerdanya. Can be switched at the same platform between the local trains from Perpignan and the yellow narrow gauge trains of the little train jaune. To and from Perpignan Gare Routiere also run regularly Regional buses.